Can fashion ever be sustainable? How to form a wardrobe that’s kinder to the planet

Fast fashion is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. From seeking out sustainability credentials to spotting greenwashing, Caroline Garland discovers how to make your clothing more Earth-friendly

The fashion industry produces more CO2 than international flights and maritime shipping combined (iStock/The Independent)

An increasing focus on sustainability and the climate crisis has made many of us question our fast-fashion habits. As we know, high-street purchases offer a quick and affordable outfit fix, but these buys can also culminate in a damaging cycle for the environment.

According to Greenpeace, the fashion industry is responsible for around 8-10 per cent of global CO2 emissions, which equates to a massive 4-5 billion tonnes annually. As outlined by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), this is more than the amount created by all international flights and maritime shipping combined.

Additionally, the Global Fashion Agenda’s (GFA) Fashion on Climate report found that if the fashion industry doesn’t act quicker in response to climate change, “by 2030 it will produce around twice the volume of greenhouse gas emissions required to align with the Paris Agreement global warming pathways by 2050”.

This non-profit organisation has been working collaboratively with industry colleagues since 2009 and aims to create a net positive fashion industry by 2050. In a nutshell, that means the fashion industry would be putting more back into society, the environment and the global economy than it takes out. Its recent Global Fashion Summit in Copenhagen covered the importance of industry-wide action.

When asked why fast fashion is such an emergency, a spokesperson for the GFA told The Independent: “The impact of the fashion industry is widely documented, including the complex range of repercussions linked to climate change, but also the exploitative practices that remain all too prominent throughout the fashion value chain.”

Ultimately, it is down to manufacturers, brands and consumers to work together to create a more circular system. But what exactly does sustainable fashion mean, how can we spot greenwashing, and where should we – as consumers – start, in order to build a more planet-friendly wardrobe?

Washing clothes can release microplastic into our waters, which are already polluted with plastic (AFP via Getty Images)

What does sustainable fashion mean?

It’s very hard to define ‘sustainability’ – hence the problem with greenwashing – but, essentially, sustainable fashion means choosing garments that have had the least amount of impact on the environment during production. Ideally, they should be made from organic natural fabrics – such as cotton, silk and wool – not blended compositions, as they can be tricky to recycle. It takes a bit of navigating but, for a guilt-free wardrobe, it’s worth taking the time.

London College of Fashion lecturer and founder of House of Tammam atelier, Lucy Tammam, shares: “Sustainability means different things to different people. It’s not an end goal and is instead a continuously evolving set of targets to make things better. Most importantly, if a garment is something you truly love and will wear for a long time, then it’s probably something worth investing in.”

With all this in mind, we asked the owner of sustainable fashion boutique Anorak and founder of Every Thing We Wear, Emma Foley, how she sources brands.

“Most of the brands I stock are now Global Organic Textile Standard, which is a worldwide leading textile processing standard for organic fibres. Otherwise, I work with brands doing amazing things in terms of recycling and using fabrics that have lower impacts on the environment,” Foley explains.

Being wary of greenwashing

Greenwashing is a term used to describe brand messaging that claims an item is sustainably made without providing the evidence to back this up. It is a marketing tool aimed at customers who seek sustainable products and can, unfortunately, be misleading.

Pick pieces that you’ll wear for years to come (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

“We all need to be detectives,” Tammam says, explaining: “If a brand relies on high volume sales, it is unsustainable to produce so much. That’s even if garments are made from organic cotton or, worse, recycled polyester, which uses enormous amounts of energy to be made.”

Above all else, Tammam urges: “The general rule is, if a brand is doing something good, they’ll tell you. But always be wary of greenwashing!”

Checking sustainability credentials

As highlighted by Foley, there are many organisations set up to regulate the fashion industry, including the Global Organic Textile Standard.

“For anyone who wants to go a step further and be as sustainable as possible, a top tip is to look at the care label,” Tammam says, adding that “natural fibres are so much better for the environment, including at the end of a garment’s life.”

She continues: “Another piece of advice is to look for evidence of fair trade. The FLOCERT mark is helpful, but brands might have something like a workers’ rights policy that can be read online or offer some information about the person who made the garment.”

You can look out for any of the below sustainability certifications on clothing labels for fibre standards, chemical control, working conditions and more.

Fibre standards

• Global Organic Textile Standard
• Fairtrade Certified Cotton
• Better Cotton Initiative (BCI)
• Cotton Made in Africa (CMiA)
• Global Recycle Standard
• Organic Content Standard
• Responsible Wool Standard

Chemical control

• Oeko-Tex 100
• Bluesign Programme
• Zero Discharge of Hazardous Waste (ZDHW)

Labour rights and working conditions

• SA8000 – Social Accountability International (SAI)
• Fairtrade Textile Standard

Circular standards

• Cradle to Cradle

Fairtrade credentials

• Fairtrade Certified Textiles
• Fairtrade Certified Cotton
• Fair Trade USA
• World Fair Trade Organisation (WFTO) Guarantee System

Building a sustainable wardrobe

It may sound simple but the key to building a sustainable wardrobe is to prioritise wearing what you already have. As Tammam says, “the most sustainable garment is one that you already own”.  When asked about throwing out any fast-fashion items, she urges us not to get rid of anything that still has life in it.

“The best thing is to keep wearing what we already have. Man-made fibres are terrible for the environment, but mostly when they are being produced and later discarded,” she says, highlighting: “If you wash and wear them with care, the impact isn’t too bad, and hopefully in a few years’ time there’ll be a way to recycle all man-made fibres, so definitely keep them until then.”

Reduce, reuse and recycle (Caroline Garland for The Independent)

“I tend to wear my clothes over and over and keep them. I have so many things I still wear that I’ve had for years. What I do pass on goes to charity or clothing banks,” Foley adds.

When we do need new items, Tammam suggests using apps such as Vinted and designer re-sale sites such as Vestiaire Collective to sell old pieces and buy nearly new ones. Personal stylist and founder of Style with Conscience Seraphina Davis agrees: “If you’ve really fallen out of love with something, the best thing is to sell an item on. Let someone else enjoy wearing it. Alternatively, could you use the fabric in another way? You could make a nice cushion or scarf out of an unwanted dress,” she suggests.

Have a wedding to attend or a party on the horizon? There’s a wide variety of fashion rental companies to suit a special occasion, and the upside is you could save cash too. “Showstopping event looks have always been hard to wear twice, but with all the hire sites available now, it’s cheaper to wear something for one night you could never afford in the past,” Tammam says.

Making your clothes last longer

Being mindful about how we wash our clothing is particularly helpful for making pieces last longer. Tammam suggests we “hand wash rather than machine wash, and wash less often” and “hang clothes out on a washing line, or even by an open window, for a refresh between washes.”

In terms of the environmental impact caused by washing, research suggests microplastic fibres are released in the wash, so Tammam recommends buying a Guppyfriend washing bag (£26, Rspb.org.uk) to reduce pollution. Another option for prolonging the life-cycle of garments is to take a piece you’re not keen on to a sustainable fashion studio, such as Tammam’s own atelier, and have it reworked into a new outfit option. This way it will be “reinvented”, she says.

If you have a broken zip or ripped garment, consider a repair service. High-street shops such as Timpson join online services such as the Clothes Doctor in replacing buttons, mending holes and darning knitwear. Most places offering repairs will also do alterations, and this is a great idea for making an existing piece more wearable or to create a bespoke look.

Finally, even if you don’t wear certain pieces now, you could always “save them until the style is back in fashion,” Tammam says.

The future of fast fashion

“We are producing far more than can be made responsibly using the planet’s resources,” Davis emphasises, highlighting that fast fashion is “causing massive repercussions to Earth’s natural resources and the people who make [the clothing].”

You may have heard of the term deadstock, which is essentially a buzzword describing surplus fabric sold to warehouses, and highlights the sheer amount of waste being created by the fashion industry. But there is an upside to this.

It’s thought around 300,000 tonnes of clothes end up in landfill each year (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

As explained by Davis: “The argument for using surplus deadstock, whether it’s man-made synthetic or not, is that it’s sustainable in the sense that we’re using something that’s already there, we’re not manufacturing from scratch. We all know the most sustainable thing to do is to use organic natural fibres, but that’s not always possible for small independent companies.”

It’s clear that brands need to slow down production lines, work with regenerative agriculture to responsibly produce natural fibres in much smaller quantities and move away from man-made synthetics which are polluting the planet.

Moving forward, there are many positive changes being made. These important steps include The Global Fashion Agenda Monitor, which is a resource offering solutions, tools and case studies to help guide those within the fashion industry. Additionally, Fashion Revolution is a global activism movement raising awareness of the systemic changes needed. If you’re seeking a further steer, the London College of Fashion also has a centre for sustainable fashion, including an online resources page.