The textile manufacturing industry is one of the biggest industries in the world that is currently worth nearly three thousand trillion dollars. The industry is constantly growing with the wants from consumers around the world. In order to meet and satisfy these wants from customer, “Development in the textile and clothing industry has focused on technological and cost aspects. Emphasis has been placed on keeping the price of the final product low and increasing efficiency in production.” (Niinimaki & Hassi, 2010, p. 1876) At the same time, with this expansion of the textile manufacturing industry and its consumption, pollution, climate change, fossil fuel and raw material depletion, and water pollution and shortage are constantly occurring …show more content…
As a response of various environmental issues from the textile manufacturing industry, green or sustainable textile manufacturing has aroused in recent years. The idea and concept of sustainable textile manufacturing is involving ethical and sustainable considerations to the entire supply chain process, from textile production to apparel manufacturing to retailing. “According to the Ethical Fashion Forum (2011), ethical fashion “represents an approach to the design, sourcing and manufacture of clothing which maximizes benefits to people and communities while minimizing impact on the environment.” The ethical fashion industry follows an ethical production cycle which creates social and environmental value.” (Cervellon & Wernerfelt, 2012, p. 177) Consumers is the biggest contributor and the reason of success for the textile manufacturing industry, therefore, in order to promote the growth and future for sustainable textile manufacturing, the education and knowledge that consumers have on green fashion and a new mindset for business and manufacturing are crucial for the future of a better environment for …show more content…
Sustainable manufacturing requires the green fashion knowledge from consumers to make it work. Green fashion knowledge is, “Environmental attitude models or consumers’ perception and beliefs on green products”. (Cervellon & Wernerfelt, 2012, p. 178) This is crucial because it raises awareness for consumer for the environment and hence promote the importance of green and sustainable textile manufacturing. But consumers often get the wrong idea and clarity of the true meaning behind it, “Consumers seem to doubt the existence of sustainable production processes, especially in the fashion industry where manufacturing is often outsourced to emerging countries” (Cervellon & Wernerfelt, 2012, p.178) Consumers often believed that sustainable manufacturing is only practiced by a minimal amount of manufacturers, so the concern for sustainable fashion is often neglected. On the other hand, the image of green fashion is often related to dull and not in style, so the majority of people will prefer fast fashion that is trendy, up to date and cheap. To promote the benefits of green fashion, it will take time to educate consumers and transfer knowledge to them. In a study performed by Marie-Ce ́cile Cervellon and Anne-Sophie
Consumer behavior: Merely focusing on material section would help us attain sustainability, we need a more holistic strategy which comprises of not just the way fashion is being created; but the way it is being consumed as well. Using environment-friendly material, using conservational energy sources, community laundry, using waterless washing machines etc. are some of the practices which can be taken up.
When I was in middle school, my school host an event called "Environmental Protection Clothes: Do It Yourself Competition. " I was extremely keen on the topic, so I participated in the occasion twice. The rule was simple that the clothes must be designed by yourself and the materials utilized must be some environmentally friendly material or the clothes you would never wear it later on. At the very beginning, I believed that I cannot find any useful materials in the home. When I searched the internet to find designed clothes from former students, this is the first time I knew there are so many elements that always ignored and do not see useful in my life.
Each day, millions of people of all ages in developing countries suffer in factories all over the world while making the clothes that we buy and wear everyday.
Fashion is everything to society and the media. The fashion industry has transformed into a necessity in the life of people. Everyone wants to look good, feel fabulous and feel as if we belong with everyone else. The envy and desire to wear certain things and look a certain way all come, from wearing the latest fashion handbags, accessories, dresses, shoes, and the list goes on. But, when is considering fashion into an individual’s life going too far to the extreme? Many do not consider the whereabouts of fashion materials and how the environment is affected by the mere existence of certain garments. Some may believe these objects grow on trees. But that is clearly not the case. Even though it would be nice. The fashion industry as a whole, has been notorious from green issues caused by their lack of sensitivity to the environment, conspicuous and unnecessary consumption of materials, encouraging an “throw-away” society and image issues that support women and young adults to look a certain way to feel “beautiful.” This is an issue that has increased over the past decades. Not just women, but men also feel the uncontrollable need to do whatever it takes to look like the celebrities they see on television and on the runways. The thought that the materials to make those desired items may have caused the life of animals or the destruction of mother nature does not come into mind. Countless people are concerned about conserving planet Earth and keeping it healthy. The fashion world has been targeted for many corruptions.
As the author stated, the current fashion trend focused on a faster, cheaper and lower-quality clothing trend, where the buyers’ sole reason is to buy cheap clothes for immediate uses. Cline claimed that this trend of fashion is hugely environmentally irresponsive and unethical due to many illegal and immoral practices committed by the many big corporations, as a result, many new companies jumped to action by promoting a new clothing trend that is solely about built to last. These clothes were created from the finest
The environmental impact of making textiles and clothing is damaging to natural resources and is unsustainable. Buying a cotton shirt seems like a good choice to most consumers because its material is produced from a plant. What people don’t know is that cotton is the world’s dirtiest crop due to the heavy use of insecticides and pesticides. “Cotton covers 2.5% of the world's cultivated land yet uses 16% of the world's insecticides, more than any other single major crop” (Organic Trade Association, 2011). In addition to the ground pollution from crop production, coal burning factories and textile mills leach chemicals into the air and water. As Leonard (2007) discusses, the factories being built overseas not only pollute their water, land, and air but pollution also ends up coming back in water and wind currents. Water is contaminated with countless toxic chemicals and used in excess to grow and produce textiles for clothing production. A great example of this abundant waste is that one t-shirt requires 2,700 litres of water to produce. Fast fashion is damaging the environment on a global scale and that is just the beginning of this flawed system.
While the price of cotton textiles decreased by 90%, the output had grown to cover the demand at affordable prices. Now, cotton will be gotten from Brazil, Egypt, southern United Sates and all this meant a...
The global Fashion industry is worth 300 billion US Dollars and employs more than 26 million workers (University of Cambridge, 2006). However, it is also one of the most polluting industries worldwide. In order to produce 1 kilo of cotton, 8,000 litres of water is used.
Sustainable fashion, or eco fashion, is trending and transcending throughout ethnicities and geographical localities, and according to haute couture brand and designer Stella McCartney (Vogue, May 2007), it is affixing itself permanently in the look books of celebrated designers. Progressive entrepreneurs and designers alike are inspired by sustainability to fashion apparel fabricated from organic and natural fibres such as hemp and Mohair, and are attesting that eco-couture does not have to be “hippy-Esq.” through their minimalistic, contemporary designs. Although fashion design is not the only design discipline which is being strongly influenced by
There are two types of wearers of fashion in this world. Simply put, there are those who just don 't care and those who do. Those who don’t care dress to fit their needs with little to no concern of how their garments came to be. Now, those who care have concerns about how the garments they wear were created and if it helped or hindered the environment. They monitor what the processes were to create the garments and the resources and materials used within them. Fashion brands have sensed that this group of caring wearing have become a new trend within the industry. As a result, many major brands have started to become more social responsible. Of brands, the most recent and noted changes are from Adidas. In Adidas ' efforts to support the theme of sustainability they have shifted their manufacturing methods, upgraded their brand image, and altered their distribution methods. These efforts have allowed the reputation of the Adidas brand to take a meaningful shift!
Fashion is considered one of the most significant, yet controversial industries in the world. Report shows that North America spends more than $250 billion on clothing, shoes, and accessories each year; recently, its worth has rapidly reached $1.2 trillion worldwide (K., 2014). Ethics is an unavoidable factor to consider and a growing concern for every fashion’s company and their attorneys (Fordham University School of Law). The nature of the fashion industry is surrounded by hundreds of controversies over various topics, concerning quality and consumption. Our company has no involvement in sourcing, designing or manufacturing process since we play an intermediary role between the suppliers and customers. Nonetheless, we demonstrate the promise of a strong work ethic company by making emphasis on quality, discipline, wages, and human rights. So that our products will at the same time benefit the people, the employees and the company itself. Our company is closely associated with a commitment to products quality, in which we focus our attention on selecting the finest selection of fashion goods for the customers. Instead of picking low-end and poor-quality
It is certain that people are getting more used to wasting products that are still reliable to use and, especially in fashion, not that many people are aware of the concept of sustainability. Although concept of recycling paper, plastic and glass has now spread a cross the states, people still doesn’t know how to recycle or reuse their clothing. “65 pounds of clothing and textiles a year are improperly discarded and only an eight of that goes to charities for reuse [1].” This indicates how unaware people are when it comes to taking care of their garments. Or rather, the way in which fast fashion industry promotes the value of cloth is very low, and it is because the fashion industry wants people to get rid of their clothing as soon as possible in order to sell their new colle...
This article is about the overall impacts of fast fashion. The particular section referenced discusses possible solutions and alternatives to fast fashion. It talks about how it is possible to produce environmentally friendly clothing through the use of organic cotton, bamboo, hemp, and other fiber crops that require less pesticides, water, and other inputs. It goes on to share how certain brands are beginning to implement the model of sustainable clothing. The point of this article is to introduce readers to the topic of fast fashion, give background, and show readers what they
The act of consumption has been the primary means through which individuals in society participate and transform culture. Culture is not something already made which we consume; culture is what society creates through practices of everyday life and consumption involves the making of culture. When attempting to understand certain acts of consumption it is necessary to observe the relations involved in production and consumption. Through technological innovation, the fashion industry has been expanded to play a prominent role in consumers’ purchasing decisions and styles are becoming less difficult to obtain. With the expansion of department stores and shopping being viewed as a leisurely activity, this has continued to transform the act of fashion consumerism. The functional interests feature a rational attachment to clothing items. Symbolic benefits involve status and prestige to fulfill the achievement for positive self-esteem. Further benefits include a provided experience for the individual consumer and the created use of imagery and desire used to enrich one’s life.
Sustainable fashion offers various benefits to both the consumer and the entire environment. For instance, it is noted that the entire process of sustainable fashion is worthy for the globe. In most cases, the fashion industry leaves behind a huge environmental imprint ranging from the pesticides in growing cotton to the landfill impact of clothes that wear out and the energy needed to manufacture every piece. Therefore, deciding on organic fibers or sustainable fabrics made from bamboo can also reduce the quantity of carbon emitted and chemicals brought into people`s lives. This shows how sustainable fashion if embraced can bring benefits to the consumer, the producer, and to the environment, which is very vital for future generations. Selecting clothes that contain the label “fair trade act,” during purchase emphasizes on sustainability in numerous ways. The first thing is that, it guarantees that the product was produced under safe working conditions. Further, it signifies that the person who produced it earned a fair wage since it is sweatshop free (Hethorn 123). The act of purchasing clothes considered as “fair trade” confirms that individuals and places mean more than the organization`s fundamental reason for its