One of the world’s greatest commercial sectors is the $3.5 trillion fashion industry. It is also one of the most wasteful, contributing 10% of carbon emissions and 20% of the world’s water waste. In addition, within a few years of production, roughly three-fifths of all apparel made ends up in landfills or incinerators. Every second, several textiles are burned or landfilled to fill one garbage truck. While we all need clothes and fashion as a way to express ourselves, the current textile waste vastly surpasses the industry’s advantages. The tendency looks destined to continue without environmentally friendly methods of producing clothing.
In the fashion sector, revenues have long trumped considerations of sustainability. Fortunately, mentality shifts are beginning to take shape with the potential to transform this model over time. Growing concern over fashion’s environmental impact, when coupled with exciting new fashion technology, is paving the path for a more sustainable garment business model and ecosystem.
How can the fashion business become more environmentally friendly?
To reduce the negative effects of their purchases on the environment, customers are becoming selective about the companies they do business with. Web searches for the industry’s eco-friendly products have increased by more than 70% over the past five years, driven by the sustainability trend, the slow fashion movement, and ethical fashion. Three out of five consumers now say that the environment plays a significant role in their decision-making. Technology trends in the apparel sector are starting to reflect this, with new, sustainable fashion technology being developed that aims to address the root causes of the sector’s problems.
Over the next ten years, sustainable fashion technology that affects materials, products, and the consumer experience is expected to have a significant impact on waste reduction. Companies that care about the environment have already changed their materials to improve lifespan and use fewer resources. New potential for clothing recycling also points toward a circular fashion sector.
Here is a list of some innovative technologies that are revolutionizing apparel production and recycling that will help you learn more about how to support sustainable fashion.
1. 3D virtual sampling
Physical samples were once required for the design, buying, and selling of lifecycles. A finished style may need 20 or more samples before manufacturing to give designers and retail buying teams an accurate depiction of the product. Virtual sampling, however, now provides a digital full-line review, which minimizes waste in both design and product development, as 3D technology advances.
By 2021, Tommy Hilfiger used 3D design across the entire design process, from drawing to sample to showrooming. The same idea is visualized on a screen using 3D virtual sampling, which produces almost little waste. The savings on labor and materials needed to produce physical samples is another significant benefit. Another way to digitize a customer-focused production model is through virtual sampling.
2. Complementary textiles
Common garment materials need a lot of resources and can decay slowly. The amount of water needed to make one cotton shirt is equal to what one person would drink in 2.5 years. While producing synthetic materials like nylon and polyester, hazardous greenhouse gases are released. Alternatives are being offered, though, by the development of sustainable technologies for clothing and textiles that are recyclable, regenerable, reusable, and supplied ethically. Recycled fibers and fibers derived from agricultural waste materials, such as leaves and rinds, are two eco-friendly textile substitutes. These innovative textiles provide alternatives that are durable, biodegradable, and produce less waste during production. As alternatives to cotton, many people choose natural fibers like hemp, bamboo, and ramie. Cupro is preferred by companies like COS and H&M since it is made from cotton lin.
Using cutting-edge materials like bio-based fur, designers have pioneered closed-loop and sustainable business strategies. Compared to traditional synthetics, this fabric, which is made up of 37% plants, uses up to 30% less energy and emits up to 63% fewer greenhouse gases. Notable eco-friendly leather substitutes include muskin, a vegetable leather created from mushrooms, and Piatex, a fiber made from pineapple leaves.
Despite consumer preferences, the entire fashion business must embrace digital change to stop wasteful practices. Businesses in the fashion industry can address expensive problems including overproduction, high return rates, low consumer confidence, and more by applying these technologies. All parties in the supply chain will profit from adopting new technologies in fashion and utilizing digital transformation, which will ultimately benefit consumers. Major participants in the industry are moving away from the wasteful methods of the past and embracing sustainable fashion technologies to assist bring about significant improvements as consumers grow more environmentally concerned.
