The current methods for producing clothing are placing increasing pressure on natural resources, while simultaneously polluting and degrading the environment. With an ever-growing population, society stands in urgent need of clothing that is both stylish and ethical. The fashion industry, which already accounts for an estimated 10 percent of global carbon emissions, is looking for way to operate in a more sustainable manner. The industry has traditionally operated using a “linear system,” in which virgin materials are extracted from non-renewable resources and used to produce clothing following a “take-make-dispose” model. The clothing produced is often used for a short period before being discarded as waste and typically placed in a landfill or alternatively, it is incinerated.
While this linear approach may be cheap and convenient, it promotes material scarcity, climate change, natural resource depletion, and waste creation, thereby, contributing to the key challenges faced within the industry. Against this background, global textile production doubled between 2000 and 2015, and the consumption of clothing and footwear is now expected to double by 2030. One of the driving forces behind this trend is, of course, the rise of fast fashion, a relatively new phenomenon that has escalated the linear approach of producing apparel and accessories.
In today’s world, instant gratification holds power over purchasing behavior and consumers have become accustomed to having inexpensive clothing rapidly produced and made available. The fast fashion business model (and the ultra-fast fashion model) is highly profitable and fueled, in large part, by the constant rotation of new trends within the industry. The concept of fast fashion and the increasing array of brands that operate in accordance with this model promotes – and normalizes – the concept of “disposable” fashion. All the while, textile workers and the environment are paying a high price in order to maintain these low costs for the consumer.
There is also increasing awareness and expectation from the general public with regard to environmental and social issues. It is becoming more common for consumers to place value on the sustainability of a brand’s clothing and manufacturing processes and to actively seek out brands that priorities sustainability, ethical practices, and transparency. Embracing the sustainable shift, therefore, becomes not only an environmental decision for businesses, but it can provide a strategic advantage.
The Ongoing Shift
To address the demands that the manufacturing and consumption of apparel and accessories places on the environment and meet consumer demands, companies are starting to introduce “sustainable” initiatives – from moving towards a more circular model (or a “closed loop system”) to adopting “green” technologies. For example, the H&M Group has taken a three-system approach to business strategy in an effort to align with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s definition of a circular economy and focusing on the three key principles of “eliminating waste and pollution, circulating products and materials at their highest value and regenerating nature.” Other mass-market brands, such as Weekday and Tommy Hilfiger, are also looking to meet Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s principles and projects.
In addition to consumer expectations, companies are facing rising regulations on the sustainability front. The European Union, for example, announced a strategy for sustainable and circular textiles to create a “green textiles sector,” with the aim being to have a new sustainable ecosystem for textiles by 2030. The EU’s approach provides a further incentive for brands to reflect on the entire lifecycle of their products, encouraging changes in both production and consumption. The new eco-design legislation, which was approved by the European Commission in December 2023, includes a ban on the destruction of unsold textiles and footwear products.
The EU strategy for sustainable and circular textiles also outlines a digital product passport as a future requirement for all stakeholders in the fashion industry. The “digital product passports initiative” is part of the proposed Eco-design for sustainable products regulation which aims to introduce the passport into at least three key markets by 2024 – one of the key markets being the fashion industry. The idea of the passport is to offer transparency about materials’ origins, production processes and end of life instructions, giving an overview of their environmental impact. The digital product passport results in an increased labor of due diligence but will also allow companies to generate new value and capture greater market share.
All the while, there have also been other new requirements, including ones that focus on the durability, reusability and repairability of products, as well as the minimum recycled content in textiles – all of which aim limit the negative environmental impact of apparel industry and enable the EU to reduce emissions by 2030.
Innovation, Trends & On-Demand Fashion
A recent report from Stand emphasizes the mountains still to be climbed to make the fashion industry more sustainable. Out of 14 major brands identified within the fashion industry, only four are set to cut greenhouse emissions by the amount needed to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius. Despite the increasing focus on sustainable fashion, the industry does not appear to be on track to meet its climate targets for 2024.
Green technologies and solutions are emerging and being adopted within the industry, and this is significant, as innovation is key to scaling up the sustainable production of clothing and it takes place in many forms. From creative methods that aim to make design and manufacture more efficient through to creating new materials that are themselves sustainable.
Meanwhile, the linear mindset introduced by fast fashion encourages companies to be continuously predicting what their customers will want, leading to repeated overproduction of products using outdated manufacturing techniques. According to a report from the European Environment Agency, the amount of used textiles exported from the EU has tripled over the past two decades. Yet, it is estimated that 10 percent to 45 percent of all clothes are never even sold to begin with. The overproduction, overconsumption, and ruination of unsold or returned clothing needs to be addressed.
U.S. textile innovation studio “Unspun,” for example, has created the world’s first 3D weaving technology for apparel in an attempt to solve the waste problem in the industry. The company partners with brands and manufacturers who aim to streamline and decarbonize their supply chains. Unspun has partnered with Eckhaus Latta for its Spring/Summer 2024 ‘ready to wear ‘collection and has worked alongside the brand to produce wide-leg jeans using their new Vega technology. The Vega 3D weaving technology produces clothes directly from thousands of individual yarns. A variable twill pattern is programmed to be woven and the Vega machine is able to produce a seamless pant leg in minutes – think 3D knitting but ten times faster and five times cheaper. This may be the new revolution in manufacturing.
Still yet, synthetic dyes, which are typically used by manufacturers in the fashion industry, create chemical discharge that is often toxic to aquatic life and causes disruption of ecosystems. Some dyes, such as carbon black, can even be detrimental to human health. Natural dyes are an obvious solution, offering a biodegradable alternative which requires less water and energy for production and processing. However, natural dyes cannot compete with synthetic dyes in terms of cost, performance, and scalability.
Colorifix is a company that use natural pigments finding inspiration from nature. The process selects a color created by an organism in nature, pinpoints the exact genes that lead to the production of this pigment and translates this DNA code into a microorganism. The microorganism is then able to reproduce the pigment as effected in nature. Colorifix launched a capsule with well-known fashion brand ‘PANGAIA’, introducing limited edition tracksuits dyed using the Colorifix technology. Its pigment ‘Blue Cocoon’ was used and was first discovered as a contaminant in the silk production process. Its ‘Midway Geyser Pink’ was also used and is a pigment produced by ancient bacteria in extreme conditions, likely around hot spring geysers, as the name would suggest.
Following a similar trend, Billie Eilish and Nike reworked the Nike Alpha Force Low. The black heel midsole paint and tongue top graphic of the trainer was designed using a black algae ink developed with company ‘Living Ink’ as an alternative to petroleum-based carbon black. The sustainable ink sparked headlines, such as “algae is the new black.”
In addition to Nike, Living Ink has worked with Coach, Patagonia, and Gucci owner Kering among other respected brands, highlighting the need for alternative, sustainable dyes and pigments. It is likely that further research into alternative dyes and pigments will occur.
Supply Chain Transparency & Accountability
As the industry strives to become more sustainable, being able to market a brand as ‘eco-friendly’ brings significant commercial benefits. However, the commitment must be sincere and well executed if accusations of “greenwashing” are to be avoided. The textile supply chain must take accountability to reduce its environmental impact. It is important to promote transparency and honesty among brands and suppliers as the landscape evolves.
FibreTrace was listed in TIME magazine’s 200 best inventions of 2023. The company has developed a digital tool which can be used to verify brands sustainability claims. Consumers are able to scan a barcode to confirm their garments were sustainably produced. FibreTrace uses a luminescent pigment to embed a unique signature in a fiber, enabling brands to account for each step of the supply chain. The patented luminescent pigment is non-toxic and can be applied to fiber or yarn to ensure that the materials in the end product can be traced back to specific points in the production process. The pigment can be applied to the industry’s most popular fibers, such as cotton, viscose, and wool, and it ensures that claims often made to materials of origin such as “made from 100% recycled plastic bottles” can be authenticated. Trials are also in process for leather and blast fibers, meaning further development from the company is to be expected.
There are many other developments occurring within the industry, including those that use AI technology to identify, create and recycle materials, create brand new materials that are an alternative to those currently used and lastly, take inspiration from nature in the form of biomimicry to make processes more efficient.
Chloe Skidmore is a trainee patent attorney on Reddie & Grose‘s Engineering, Manufacturing and Consumer Products team.
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