.png)
The fashion industry has a concise product life cycle because of changing seasons, prominent trends, competitive costs, and variable socio-economic factors. The garment supply chain implicates various workers like artisans, designers, and respective workers' efforts in each phase of production. Moreover, different clothing parts derive from different origins, which results in a lack of transparency in the fashion supply chain process. Fashion is divided into three distinct types according to focus, consumer demand, and their internal operating model, fashion brands. They are traditional fashion, private labels, and fast fashion. At the same time, each stage of the fashion supply chain alters from label to label.
The stages of the fashion supply chain possess:
Design
Producing material
Producing clothes
Distribution and
Retail
Reaching consumers
Supply chain: Sustainable vs Fast fashion
Fabric:
The most energy-intensive fibers are man-made fibers which consist of various chemicals like sodium hydroxide and carbon disulfide. These chemicals are the derivatives of coal, oil, and natural gases. Artificial fibers are primarily used to produce fast fashion clothing because fashion brands focus on consumer demands, quick turnaround cycles, cost-effective alternatives, and extensive product quantities. This results in large landfills, creating environmental destruction for centuries.
The production of the raw materials in the textile industry consumes around 378 billion liters of water annually. For example, the production of a cotton T-shirt requires 700 gallons of water and emits 6lb of CO2 along with other hazardous gases. Most of the textile materials used for designing clothing also have a negative impact on workers in the fashion industry, the environment, and the consumers through creating water waste, emission of hazardous gases in the air, and landfills.
Sustainable fashion brands strive to adapt to various design frameworks to work with natural fibers, considering recycled and reusable fibers such as hemp, bamboo, and jute. These fabrics are biodegradable in nature and create more negligible carbon emissions. The hemp fabric can trap around 230% of carbon emissions in the atmosphere in a period of a year; Hemp fabric can evolve into an efficient natural carbon capture system. With the use of sustainable fashion clothing, the carbon footprint in the environment and waste and landfills can be declined.
Working conditions:
The production of fashion clothes has shifted to developing countries to reduce the cost of labor, and this transformation has an impact on developing countries. Embracing the high employment opportunities, the average salary for a woman in a garment factory is six U.S dollars per month, and they are primarily utilized on a contract basis. Moreover, according to the International Labor Organization, almost 20 million people in the world are victims of forced labor within the clothing and textile industry, of which 11.4 million of these are women and girls. Therefore, the working conditions of clothing and textile industries in developing countries are dreadful.
The collapse of the Rana Plaza building happened on 24 April 2013 in Dhaka, Bangladesh, which boarded five local garment factories, killed 1135 clothing factory workers, and approximately 2500 workmen were wounded. These houses were producing garments for about 31 western multinational corporations. This incident has been remarked as one of the deadliest structure failures in modern history. Since the Rana plaza incident, no less than 35 incidents took place in textile factories in which almost 500 people were injured and 27 lost their lives. Due to such incidents in the fashion industry, the interest in creating ethical practices has increased.
Furthermore, the working conditions of garment workers in the fast fashion industry are globally vulnerable, and the workers are exploited by more prominent brands. Such as,
The skill set of workers is underrated and undervalued.
Workers of major fast fashion brands like Zara and H&M are manipulated, not ethically treated, and underpaid.
Women workers in fashion manufacturers are discriminated against for more irregular wages than males.
Noteworthy incidents like the collapse of the Rana Plaza incident show that the factory structures do not follow any safety protocols.
The factory workers in the fashion industry work with harmful dyeing chemicals and inhale toxic substances and fiber dust which results in serious health issues in the long run.
The sustainable fashion industry strives to build healthy working conditions in the production supply chain for its workers, which can help to increase the long-term productivity and create a better livelihood for the workers. According to Sustainable Development Rules (SDG), goal 8 aims to promote inclusivity, sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all and goal 10 aims to reduce inequalities. The 17 goals are correlated.
Production:
The make-as-per-trend model significantly impacts the environment as this model usually runs according to the changing trends for every season. They are resulting in overproduction and overconsumption. Due to changing markets, the trend may go off, and the products remain in warehouses for their lifetime, and after that, they are concealed in the earth's landfills. The make-as-per-trend is presumably known as fast fashion. Fast fashion production is massive, whereas sustainable fashion produces minimal products.
The sustainable fashion industry aims to produce products at a low pace which lasts for years and also considers using biodegradable fibers, which decompose when the product's life cycle ends. The sustainable fashion supply chain can be named make-as-per-demand because most sustainable fashion brands produce products only on consumer demand to reduce overproduction. The sustainable supply chain believes in the statement, "An efficient supply chain minimizes inventory while responding to customer demands."
Greenwashing:
The term sustainability is usually misapplied to strengthen brand names and as a marketing technique by many well-known fast fashion organizations, which results in greenwashing the consumers. Greenwashing is an advertising strategy that fashion brands use to deceive consumers by advertising themselves with green credentials and using techniques to pass on false marketing messages to the shoppers.
According to a recent study, nearly 60% of green claims were made by 12 prominent brands in the UK and Europe with misleading credentials. Unfortunately, it is hard to outline greenwashing strategies by consumers as most brands use familiar terms like sustainability, eco-friendly, and responsible. Therefore, the idea of greenwashing builds a faux world of change and drives consumers to believe in it when it is actually not.
Due to the production houses of large fashion brands primarily based in developing countries, the more prominent brands escape the responsibility of significant carbon emissions generated in the fashion manufacturing process. Through which the fast fashion brands run less carbon footprint or even no carbon footprint campaigns to grab customer attention. For example, a fast fashion brand like Zara has more than 4600 retail stores in seventy-seven countries, and the carbon footprint reports hardly even a trail to go cold. Also, Zara's website provides no relevant information on sustainable ethics they adhere to.
In conclusion, in a world where fashion is ever-evolving, it's essential to recognize the intricate web of choices that shape our clothing industry. From the rapid turnover of fast fashion to the ethical dilemmas in our supply chains, the path to sustainable and responsible fashion is paved with challenges.
The fashion industry's impact on our planet, from resource-intensive fabrics to exploitative working conditions, calls for a reevaluation of our consumer choices. As we consider a more sustainable future, we must separate greenwashing from genuine commitments and champion brands that prioritize ethical practices.
The journey to a more sustainable fashion industry involves not just the designers and producers but each one of us. By making informed choices, supporting brands that prioritize sustainability, and demanding transparency, we can collectively take steps towards a more responsible, environmentally friendly, and socially just fashion world. Our clothing choices can be more than just style statements; they can be a testament to our commitment to a brighter and more sustainable future.