Planet
For lcf sustainability takes up a large part of the pillar, which is the planet.
Regarding the circular economy, the complete expression is resource circular, the main characteristics of the economic development model aimed at the conservation and recycling of resources as well as the harmony of the environment. Economic activity is transformed into an interlocking feedback process consisting of resources, products and renewable resources. The main expression of this process is low extraction, high utilisation and low emissions. All materials and energy can be used rationally and sustainably in this continuous economic cycle in order to minimise the impact of economic activity on the natural environment.
Sustainability as it relates to fashion encompasses a number of aspects, including clothing, accessories and footwear. The fashion industry encompasses a wide range of industries, from brands and couture, online and offline retailers, which are in direct contact with consumers, to companies that manufacture and sell fabrics and accessories, factories and craftspeople who make garments, etc. The fashion industry also involves marketing and distribution. In addition, the fashion industry is also involved in marketing and fashion shows, which include models, stylists, hair stylists, make-up artists, model agencies, photographers and other non-fashion industries, forming a more complex fashion ecosystem. These are the fashions that are relevant to sustainability. But the biggest impact of fashion on sustainability is fast fashion, which in the last 20 years has seen the emergence of “fast fashion” and the fall in the price of clothing so that people own five times more clothes than their grandparents did. This cheap “fast fashion” has, in turn, had an extremely negative impact on human health, the living environment and the working conditions of garment workers.
Of the 17 sustainability goals set by the United Nations, the one that is relevant to fashion is responsible consumption and production, and it is the one that has an impact on fashion. The reason why it is relevant to fashion is that more and more consumers are concerned about the way products are produced and consumers are an integral part of the fashion industry. From a fashion perspective, responsible production means using resources wisely and efficiently in the production process and optimising waste management to reduce the impact on the environment. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 12 requires industries, businesses and consumers to take positive action in favour of sustainable consumption and production patterns This has led to a growing number of consumers becoming increasingly concerned about the way products are produced. The impact of this is the changes being made to sustainability in the fashion industry For example, fast fashion retailer H&M shared their strategy to use 100 per cent renewable energy by 2040, stating that they will adopt a fully circular production model to achieve the goal of having an industry by-product serve another industry.
Another good example will be Condé Nast, Condé Nast has partnered with Centre for Sustainable Fashion (CSF) to create The Sustainable Fashion Glossary, a compendium of terms, a reference tool to help usher in a new era of understanding of fashion, based on a respect for and valuing of the earth and all who live within it. The Sustainable Fashion Glossary is part of Conde Nast’s long-standing commitment to create change in the world of fashion, design and style; and combines Condé Nast’s unique perspective on the sector with the Centre for Sustainable Fashion’s (CSF), academic leadership in fashion design for sustainability. They aim to update the Sustainable Fashion Glossary on an annual basis to reflect innovations and the evolving environmental, social, cultural and economic debate and new discoveries and practices within it. It will be used by their own editorial teams, and they aim for it to inform and inspire a new vanguard of creatives who will define tomorrow’s zeitgeist and form a community of positive change-makers.
Reference List
(No date) Condé Nast. Available at: https://www.condenast.com/glossary (Accessed: 29 April 2024).
United Nations Development Programme (2023). What Is Circular Economy and Why Does It matter? [online] UNDP Climate Promise. Available at: https://climatepromise.undp.org/news-and-stories/what-is-circular-economy-and-how-it-helps-fight-climate-change.
Geneva Environment Network (2023). Environmental Sustainability in the Fashion Industry. [online] www.genevaenvironmentnetwork.org. Available at: https://www.genevaenvironmentnetwork.org/resources/updates/sustainable-fashion
Yinuo (2023). Fast Facts – What is Sustainable Development? [online] United Nations Sustainable Development. Available at: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2023/08/what-is-sustainable-development/ gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6NL1ivXogQMV02DmCh1U7AFyEAAYASAAEgJEVvD_BwE [Accessed 9 Oct. 2023].
Springwise. (2022). Fashion and the UN SDGs. [online] Available at: https://www.springwise.com/sustainable-source/fashion-and-the-sdgs/