The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee says there is a basic problem with an industry that relies on persuading people to throw away good clothes because they are "last year's colour". MPs stress that if current clothes consumption continues, this will account for more than a quarter of our total impact on climate change by 2050. It has written to Britain’s ten biggest clothing retailers to ask them to reveal their environmental record.
WHY IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIAL ISSUES IN EUROPE:
In addition to GHG emissions, the textile industry have also implications for water consumption and the release of plastic fibres into the environment. The textile/fashion/retail industry plays a key role shaping consumption trends in the UK and Europe. Pointing out more straightforwardly at the environmental impacts of their business models may help to foster the transition to more circular and sustainable consumption patterns.
DATE OF PUBLICATION:
October 2018
AUTHOR:
Vincent.
Soldes : « On peut passer de la mode jetable à un système plus durable » Alors que les soldes débutent mercredi, Erwan Autret, ingénieur de l’Ademe, revient sur l’impact dévastateur de l’industrie de la mode sur l’environnement. LE MONDE | 10.01.2018 à 15h27 • Mis à jour le 11.01.2018 à 16h19 | Propos recueillis par Faustine Vincent Alors que les soldes d’hiver débutent mercredi 10 janvier, Erwan Autret, ingénieur de l’Agence de l’environnement et de la maîtrise de l’énergie (Ademe) chargé du suivi de la filière textile, constate que le système fonctionne encore sur le modèle de la mode jetable, mais observe des avancées. Lire : La mode se penche sur son poids environnemental Quel est l’impact de l’industrie de la mode sur l’environnement ?
Erwan Autret : On relève trois impacts principaux : sur les émissions de gaz à effet de serre, sur la consommation d’eau, et sur son eutrophisation, c’est-à-dire le changement de composition chimique de l’eau à cause des polluants qui y sont déversés. Le secteur de la mode s’est-il emparé des enjeux environnementaux ? Oui. Fast fashion is harming the planet, MPs say. Image copyright Getty Images Young people's love of fast fashion is coming under the scrutiny of Britain's law-makers.
MPs say the fashion industry is a major source of the greenhouse gases that are overheating the planet. Discarded clothes are also piling up in landfill sites and fibre fragments are flowing into the sea when clothes are washed. The retailers admit more needs to be done, but say they are already working to reduce the impact of their products. Would you rent rather than buy your clothes? What do MPs say? The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee says there is a basic problem with an industry that relies on persuading people to throw away good clothes because they are "last year's colour".
It quotes evidence that: British shoppers buy far more new clothes than any nation in EuropePeople are buying twice as many items of clothing as they did a decade agoFish in the seas are eating synthetic fibres dislodged in the wash What are the solutions? Circular Economy. High street retailers are damaging the environment with 'fast fashion', MPs warn. Fast fashion quick to cause environmental havoc - Sustainability - University of Queensland. Why fast fashion needs to slow down. By Kaya Dory This piece was first published by Food Tank Have you ever thought about what your clothes are made of?
About who makes your clothes, or what happens after you donate them or throw them away? The truth about the fashion industry is actually pretty ugly. A recent study by the Ellen McArthur Foundation found that one garbage truck of textiles is wasted every second. The fashion industry is also the second-biggest consumer of water, producing 20 percent of wastewater while also generating more greenhouse gas emissions than all international flights and maritime shipping combined. Ahead of World Environment Day on June 5, themed “Beat Plastic Pollution,” it’s worth remembering that synthetic microfiber pollution is washing up in our oceans at alarming rates. We need to rethink our fast-fashion habit—we can’t continue to make clothes that do not consider our environment.
First, it’s up to apparel brands to take responsibility for the waste they’re creating. The environmental costs of fast fashion. It’s tough to love our clothes and keep wearing them for longer when we are faced with a tempting array of newness on offer in the shops. But before you head out into the January sales for those irresistible deals, spare a thought for the impact of fast fashion on the environment. Fast fashion focuses on speed and low costs in order to deliver frequent new collections inspired by catwalk looks or celebrity styles. But it is particularly bad for the environment, as pressure to reduce cost and the time it takes to get a product from design to shop floor means that environmental corners are more likely to be cut.
Criticisms of fast fashion include its negative environmental impact, water pollution, the use of toxic chemicals and increasing levels of textile waste. Vibrant colours, prints and fabric finishes are appealing features of fashion garments, but many of these are achieved with toxic chemicals. Polyester is the most popular fabric used for fashion.
Hunger for newness.