It comes as no surprise that the fashion industry is one of the largest in the world, yet what is easily overlooked is that it is also one of the most wasteful industries with a huge environmental impact.

In 2018, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe stated that the fashion industry produces 20 percent of global water waste, 10 percent of global carbon emission and 21 billion tons, with 85% of all textiles becoming waste each year. 

Since then, the demand for clothes has only grown, with the textile industry being one of the fastest growing industries to this day. However, sustainability has definitely been on the forefront of minds and fashion brands alike, and textile manufacturers have been implementing more sustainable ways of designing, producing and selling clothing. Companies such as Esquel have made it their goal to produce fashion that has the least negative impact on the environment by making sure that the whole supply chain is advanced to minimize water usage, waste and carbon emissions.

Materials matter

To this day, most clothes are produced using cotton. One major disadvantage of the material is how much water is needed to grow it. Substituting cotton for eco-friendly materials such as natural or recycled fibers and fibers extracted from agricultural waste is one way major fashion labels are trying to create a more sustainable fashion industry. 

Esquel, for example, cultivates cotton sustainably, therefore minimizing the usage of water and the environmental impact. Other companies, such as the global leader in textile coloring, Archroma, play a key role through the entire textile supply chain with special solutions that ensure the coloring of clothing articles is carried out as sustainably as possible.

New technologies promise more sustainability

Another approach to make the fashion industry more sustainable is by implementing new technologies such as 3D sampling, blockchain technologies and virtual dressing rooms. 

Blockchain technologies are usually associated with cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, yet the technology has proven successful in making clothing more sustainable. Blockchain is helping customers and companies to gain insight into the supply chain by digitizing the chain. Companies such as TextileGenesis benefit from the digitized chain as it helps brands to track the production from raw materials to the finished article, making it easier to ensure that the articles are made sustainably. 

3D Technologies have advanced a lot over the last couple of years and, since the world is becoming more and more digital, it comes as no surprise that the fashion industry is one of the many benefiting from this new technology. 

Using 3D sampling enables fashion to be designed in a more sustainable way as less material is wasted, therefore less material needs to be produced and waste is reduced. 

The company triMirror has made it possible to try on clothes in your living room by using 3D technologies to create virtual dressing rooms, thereby helping to reduce the amount of clothes people order and return while online shopping.

The fashion industry will always be huge and will likely continue to grow over the coming years. There is no denying the challenges when it comes to its environmental impact. Big players in the textile industry are beginning to cater to the needs of customers who are becoming more and more environmentally aware, yet we are still far from where fashion can be produced and sold without any negative impact on the environment. New advancements such as blockchain and 3D technologies will surely become a central part of the fashion industry, making fashion not only more sustainable, but also making it more affordable and improving processes along the supply chain. It is important, however, that such technological tools are embraced by an industry that needs to demonstrate it is doing more to make fashion sustainable.

By Teresa Ehrlich