As journalists have begun to write more seriously about the fashion industry, more people are becoming aware of the disastrous consequences of fashion production and consumption. But are brands acting quick enough to make the crucial changes needed to beat fast fashion for good?
Fast fashion is the new normal
If you've purchased clothing in the last decade, it's likely that at least one item was from a fast fashion brand. Stores such as H&M and Zara, and now popular online sites such as Misguided and Asos, sell fashionable pieces for inexpensive prices. At low prices, these fashion items are ideal for young people who struggle to afford clothing. But, the rapid transition from runway to high street stores has resulted in a throwaway culture in which items are discarded after a few wears. These items pile up in landfill and take years to decompose, which is extremely harmful to the planet. To add to the problem, most fast fashion brands do not regulate their clothing production processes in garment factories and so many garment workers are poorly paid and unfairly treated. All of this goes on behind closed doors, without consumers being aware, which is possibly why people continue to shop from fast fashion brands and turn a blind eye to the devastating impacts.
A move towards sustainability
Over the past few years, increased knowledge of fast fashion had led consumers to demand change in the fashion industry and call for brands to be more transparent about the way their clothes are produced. For this reason, popular clothing brands have begun to re-evaluate their labour practices and the impact they are having on the environment.
H&M is one of these stores which has made positive changes to their clothing production. Annual reports have shown that the company is making changes to the way it sources materials and has begun using renewable electricity in stores. H&M is also expanding its clothing recycling programme. In their Sustainability Performance Report 2019, H&M published highlights of the year which have helped them lead the change to climate positive fashion. These include 57% of all materials being recycled or sourced in a sustainable way and collecting over 29 thousand tonnes of garments, which is a 40% increase from the previous year. They have also focused on worker rights and 900 thousand of their workers now benefit from an improved wage management system.
With these achievements it is no surprise that H&M have made it onto CDP's Prestigious Climate A-list for leading effort against climate change. Aside from their conscious clothing line, H&M have made crucial changes to the ways they produce clothes and are initiating change which will hopefully inspire other brands to do the same.
Another brand which has come under scrutiny from consumers and has made sustainable changes is Zara. The high-street fashion brand has begun to use raw materials such as organic cotton, TencelTM and recycled fibres which has helped to reduce the environmental impact of products. Using these materials, along with efficient production processes is helping the brand reduce water consumption and conserve freshwater resources. Like H&M, Zara also offers a clothing collection service which allows consumers to recycle their unwanted items and give them a second life. This reduces landfill build up and CO2 emissions.
Despite these efforts consumers have accused both H&M and Zara of 'green washing', which is essentially using marketing to persuade consumers that their pieces are environmentally friendly without actually minimising their impact. This assumption came following Zara's pledge that the brand will only use sustainable, organic or recycled materials in all clothing produced by 2025. This statement did not prove popular with consumers as there was no mention of producing less clothing or slowing down the manufacturing process. H&M was also accused of green washing after announcing its plans to start making clothes from Circulose, which is a highly sustainable material made from up-cycled fashion waste. Anti-fast fashion campaigner Venetia La Manna, explained that "the focus should be on how much we buy and slowing production rates, rather than introducing new materials to consume." The rate at which H&M produces clothing items is a serious problem and is outweighing their efforts in using sustainable materials.
Is it happening fast enough?
The fashion industry is changing. But is it changing fast enough? Increased numbers of consumers are joining the fight for more sustainable and eco-friendly fashion but are clothing brands acting quickly to fulfil consumer needs? It is no longer enough for fashion retailers to exist without a sustainable mission statement and if brands don't make crucial changes they risk the future of their business. With sustainability at the forefront of people's minds it's important that brands show they're serious about the planet through actively making conscious changes. They need to move past making promises and start taking the steps needed to achieve these goals as quickly as possible.
The Verdict
Fast fashion is continuing to move towards sustainability through companies slowly making changes to the way they produce clothes. Increasing the use of sustainable materials and making efforts to improve the lives and wages of garment workers is taking a step in the right direction. Despite these changes, the transition may not be happening as quickly as it needs to. Although small steps are better than none, is fast fashion being taken as seriously as it should be? To beat fast fashion, brands need to slow down the manufacturing process and strictly regulate factory working conditions. Clothing needs to be valued again which means improving materials, increasing prices and reducing the number of clothes thrown out into high-street stores. As consumers, we have the power to speak up and demand these changes and once that happens we will begin to see the benefits to the planet.
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