Fashion - A Carbon-Neutral Industry?
The fashion industry is a major contributor to climate change. A whole host of crises are embodied in every garment bought - water depletion, monocultural and exploitative production, plastic production, and marine microplastics, not to mention the hugely wasteful and air-freight intensive nature of the fast fashion industry. Major shifts are needed if the fashion industry is to survive in the oncoming sustainable transition or else risk being left on the sidelines as a historical “bad guy” in dirty production.
In other words, we have a lot to do.
In tackling sustainable fashion, we have to take into account the entire supply chain, from materials to end-of-life, or from cradle to grave. This means regenerative growth methods for organic materials, a full analysis of synthetic materials production (polyester is plastic as much as supermarket carrier bags!), as well as taking into account transport, retail, waste, and re-use / cradle-to-cradle end cases. It’s a lot.
But, fear not. We will be tackling various aspects of this supply chain throughout the semester - movements and innovations within the sustainable fashion industry, accessibility vs economy of sustainable fashion, and more general tips and tricks to navigate today’s transitions towards a more sustainable industry.
Carbon Neutrality - Avoiding Emissions, Regenerative Practice, Offset
In achieving industry carbon neutrality, there is a hierarchy of action:
Reduce waste, both in production processes (i.e. shop at brands that have an explicit dedication to reducing waste in their supply chain), as well as in personal end-use cases via donating old clothes, shopping secondhand, upcycling fabrics. Avoid fast fashion and major quick-turnover-based brands that prioritize consumption and waste overuse and keep.
Regenerate the supply chain, systematically overhaul the way garments are made and bought - from extractive and exploitative material production methods to materials made from waste (like vegan leather made from discarded fruit waste, or sports attire made from recycled PET bottles), or produce organic materials that follow regenerative agriculture principles. Consider the way that fashion travels from the sewing machine to your wardrobe - fast fashion is a major contributor of air miles due to the rapid demand for quick turnover and delivery. When ordering online, avoid the try-and-return trends (this more than doubles your last-mile transport emissions), and avoid next- or same-day delivery where possible to increase delivery carbon efficiencies.
Offset the hard-to-eliminate emissions. Carbon offsets are an emerging science, and not yet an exact one at that. Schemes to plant a tree with every purchase are a step in the right direction but ultimately fall short of the iceberg of hard-to-avoid emissions that result from even the best industry practices. Thorough carbon accounting, verification, and trusted offsetting partnership schemes are better than naught and should be employed wherever possible. Carbon negativity is always better than carbon neutrality, and industry leaders are already taking steps in this direction!
Personal carbon offsets are also available, although these should be viewed more as an incentive to do good rather than a write-off on excessive consumption. I personally offset each month with Ecologi as well as diving into the world of sustainable fashion - shopping local and secondhand for most pieces when needed and saving up for more sustainable alternatives for hard-to-get options (I’ve been eyeing some Hylo trainers for a while now!).
The state of the fashion industry is such that very few brands will adhere to all three steps. However, finding the best and most genuine actors in the industry, supporting their transition, and writing in to suggest improvements all facilitate movement in the right direction.
Sustainable fashion resources within St Andrews are as follows:
Sustainable Style
Transition St&Reuse
Rent-a-gown
Charity shops
Kilo sales (Edinburgh & Dundee)
Donate using the British Heart Foundation donation bins around town