Fashion's New Frontier: A Battle for a Greener, Fairer Industry

The fashion industry stands at a crossroads, and Professor Helen Goworek is leading the way toward a more sustainable future.

In recent years, the fashion industry has grappled with a multitude of sustainability issues. From accusations of modern slavery in UK factories to the environmental toll of cotton cultivation, it's clear that change is imperative.

Clothing often meets a grim fate: it's discarded rather than recycled due to the complexity of disassembly. This results in a staggering amount of textile waste ending up in landfills, contributing to greenhouse gas emissions.

Professor Goworek and her research collaborators' research reveals a pivotal solution: extending clothing lifespans by a third could reduce the fashion industry's environmental impact by 20%. Materials, components, and design choices are pivotal in ensuring clothing lasts longer. Professor Goworek's research collaborators has developed a design-orientated toolkit to empower fashion professionals in crafting enduring garments, championing the adoption of "slow fashion" principles, prioritising sustainability over rapid consumption.

While consumers bear some responsibility in making sustainable choices, industry bodies like the Ethical Trading Initiative and policymakers must also lead the charge. Policies, much like the successful bag charge reduction initiatives in some countries, can incentivise sustainable behaviour.

In a time when even fashion industry leaders advocate for reduced consumption and sustainable practices, it's clear that producers, consumers, and policymakers must unite in fostering a more sustainable fashion ecosystem.

The UK government’s Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra) provided funding for the research, as well as publishing the study’s results.

View the toolkit and report: 08_01_20_TOOLKIT.pdf (ntu.ac.uk) strategies-improve-design-testing-clothing-longevity.pdf (ntu.ac.uk)

View the full article: https://www.durham.ac.uk/business/impact/sustainability/the-cost-of-keeping-up-with-fashion/

View Professor Goworek's recent work, “Consumption Ethics: A Review and Analysis of Future Directions for Interdisciplinary Research” published in Journal of Business Ethics.  (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10551-020-04425-4)