Editorial Reports
Report 1: The Guardian
The Five: Ways that Fashion Threatens the Planet
This Guardian article highlights the vast number of environmental hazards posed by the fashion industry. A 2019 EU survey found that fashion brands produced 2 collections per year in 2000, which increased to 5 in 2011, with some companies like Inditex owned brand Zara producing 24 collections per annum: placing them under the category of being a fast fashion brand. It is this constant cycle of the overproduction of clothing that meets overconsumption amongst the consumer market that results in excessive amounts of waste produced by the industry. The Waste Resources Action Programme (WRAP) reported that UK households sent 300,000 tonnes of clothing to landfill in 2016, which will take hundreds of years to decompose, whilst emitting toxic greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
Furthermore, a Pulse of Fashion 2015 report found that the fashion industry was responsible for 1,715 million of CO2 emissions, and the UN states that the fashion industry consumes more energy than the aviation and shipping industries combined; with emissions set to increase by 63% by 2030. In addition, according to a 2016 WRAP report, the average water footprint for a kilo of cotton, (the equivalent to one pair of jeans and a shirt), is between 10 and 20 thousand litres. Whilst India and Pakistan are two major suppliers of cotton to the UK, but both countries suffer from high levels of water scarcity. A suggestion for H&M would be to explore new opportunities for their supply chain, working with factories and manufacturers closer to home would massively decrease the amount of air miles and CO2 emissions that go into the process of shipping their clothing and materials around the world. Moreover, they could look at the materials they currently offer and assess whether these cotton substitutes are actually going to have enough of a beneficial impact in the long run, and whether removing the material completely from their brand would be the next step.
Report 2: LABIOTECH
How Biotechnology is Changing the Way We Make Clothes
This LABIOTECH article outlines the variety of benefits that biotechnological materials have and can provide the industry with. Whilst biotechnology already plays an important role within the textile industry, as enzymes are often used to wash and bleach materials like jeans to give a denim effect and to prevent wool from shrinking; it is the next generation of these biotechnologies that are going to have a major impact on fashion. For example, one company that is innovating a spider silk alternative is German organisation and partners of Adidas, AMSilk. As spider silk cannot be produced on an industrial scale, they have genetically engineered bacteria to produce the silk protein which is then spun into fibres, creating a new, strong, lightweight and flexible material that boasts the same performance properties but without the need of animals. Providing the environmentally conscious consumer market with both quality and sustainability, which is what traditional materials cannot do.
In addition, German Israeli firm Algalife are developing and growing fibres and dyes using algae and seaweed, which provides them with a closed-loop system as algae only needs water and sunlight to grow. Making it sustainable in terms of water consumption, land required, pollution and energy use. Not only does this massively benefit the environment but also provides the consumer with a durable, allergen free, chemical free, pesticide free material that is nourishing for the skin. Furthermore, Faber Futures are innovating an alternative method to dyeing materials through fermentation, using bacteria like Streptomyces Coelicolor, to directly deposit the dyes onto the fabric, reducing water consumption and eliminating the presence of chemicals. It was proven in early tests that their method of dyeing materials uses 500 times less water than the conventional methods used in industry. This proves that there are technological developments occurring within the industry, leaving brands like H&M no excuse when it comes to sustainability. It is suggested that H&M explore these different technologies and materials that still have the durability and performance of current fabrics but have many more benefits for the environment and consumer. In order to meet pressure for the consumer, H&M need to look into innovating the materials they use and finding more suitable and sustainable alternatives.
Report 3: Forbes
This Fungus is Fast Becoming Luxury Fashion's Favourite Material
The following Forbes article explores how Biotechnology is taking the luxury market by storm, introducing sustainable leather Mylo to the masses. The leather goods market is worth approximately $414 billion dollars globally, however ‘genuine’ animal leather is extremely damaging to the environment. It emits greenhouse gases and consumes finite resources through livestock rearing and heavily pollutes the planet during the tanning and dyeing processes. Whilst vegan leather alternatives have been introduced to the market, polyurethane or ‘PU’ is derived from fossil fuels which releases toxic materials into the atmosphere and can take hundreds of years to biodegrade, although it is vegan, it is not sustainable.
Biotech company Bolt Threads has created a vegan and sustainable leather alternative, Mylo, which is gathering attention from the luxury fashion market in particular. They have previously engineered a spider silk alternative which designer Stella McCartney has invested in. However, in a cross industry first, Adidas, Lululemon, Stella McCartney and Kering are joining together to invest and secure exclusive access to this sustainable material and produce it at a commercially viable scale in collections set for 2021. It is clear that these brands have recognised the consumer desire for sustainable products and have acted upon it. All members of this deal could be considered to operate within the luxury market because of their prices, however Adidas can be identified as a market competitor for H&M because of their similar consumer demographic, product price point and a range of product offerings such as sportswear and athleisure wear. In order to maintain their market position, it is suggested that H&M adapt, similarly to its fellow industry giants, by investing in the future and the biotech materials at the forefront of this sustainable innovation.
In order to successfully meet the consumers’ needs, progress in their pledge to sustainability and to secure their position within the fashion market.
