Cleaning Up Fashion Begins With Government Action

What is needed to clean up the fashion industry? By now, most of us (from the CEOs to the consumer) are aware of the problems within the industry. From the human rights violations along supply chains to the wasteful use of our resources, more of us understand that a t-shirt is more than just a t-shirt. It’s making a big impact on our environment and livelihoods. Yet, now that most of us are aware of buzzwords like CO2 emissions, water pollution and labor rights, how are we using this knowledge to change an often-exploitative industry? In the U.K, one organization has offered a solution- government action. The Fashion Roundtable and All-Party Parliamentary Group for Ethics and Sustainability in Fashion (ESF APPG) have put together a report titled ‘Cleaning Up Fashion’. The 25-page document not only recognizing sustainability and ethical issues among national and international brands, but it also suggests the solutions to help prevent further harm.

The Cleaning Up Fashion report hones in on long-term solutions that can be made through policy makers. These suggestions address the issues concerning the industry’s use of finite materials and the destructive model that consumers have feed into. And, even though these suggestions target government branches in the U.K, there is are takeaways that other countries can learn from about how to adapt to the growing concern of industries impact on our environment.

Why Is Government Action Needed In Fashion?

The separation between government and fashion has left a heavily influential industry heavily unregulated. According to the Clean Clothes Campagin, “The garment industry is one of the largest carbon polluters on planet Earth, and one of the greatest producers of waste.” From toxic chemicals to unjust worker compensation, the fashion industry is  making an impact- in the worst possible way. Here are few harrowing statistics about the global impact from the fashion industry.

• Three out of five of the 100 billion pieces of clothing items produced yearly end up in landfills.
• Water usage from crops like cotton have led to the drastic shrinkage of large bodies of water.
• Over 8,000 chemicals are used in fashion production.
• Textile dyeing contributes to 20% of wastewater worldwide.
• Approximately 35% of microplastics in our oceans come from synthetic clothing.
• Synthetic fabrics like polyester can take 200 years to decompose.
• One in six people work a fashion-related job wiht an average wage of $470 monthly. An estimated 93% of brands aren’t paying a living wage.

Recommendations For Government Action

If we are going to be a society that holds brands accountable for their actions and work towards cleaning up fashion, government action is needed. In 2020, 66 global industry organizations agreed with this sentiment signing a call to support from governments to address issues that the pandemic played on the industry. Collective actions like this show that there is power in numbers and that an industry cannot be changed without the support of our governments.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted some of the most pressing issues facing the fashion industry today.

If we’re to tackle the massive pollution and environmental and ethical problems within the fashion industry, governments need to systematically address these issues and help regulate the industry. Here are a few ways that the report called for government support and areas to take action:

• Collective action for net zero emissions.
• Resourcefulness for waste elimination.
• Expedite modern slavery legislative changes and introduce a garment adjudicator.
• Increase in business responsibility for apparel supply chains.
• Support for UK manufacturing and skills development.
• Incentive tax and funding to support on-shoring of fashion manufacturing.
• Measure of success for a just transition and well-being economy.

What Can Other Countries Learn?

Surprisingly, this report didn’t pose any major revelations that haven’t been stated before. There have been third-party organizations helping brands to reach net zero emissions. Other organizations focus on creating circular products. Even the idea that governments should be involved to help promote a sustainable and ethical industry, isn’t new. Yet, while there are brands that have put these strategies into place, it is not enough when the majority of fashion practices are still rooted in the fast-fashion business model. What governments can takeaway from this report is that stronger actions are needed that don’t put the responsibility on nonprofits and third-parties to persuade and educate brands on how to adopt a sustainable model. Also, this report highlights several key areas that need to be addressed for brands to minimize their environmental impact and fuel an ethical economy.

As a consumer, we learn a few of the nuances involved in cleaning up fashion. Using this knowledge we can also better hold our local legislators accountable through emails, phones calls or our own petitions for call-to-actions demanding better regulation in key areas within the fashion industry. Collectively, these actions can push change and clean up some of the problems with fashion.