As the UK Government launches an inquiry into the impact of the fashion industry on the environment, a business network has called for consideration to be placed on volume, collaboration support for best practice initiatives, and legislation and incentives.
The inquiry, launched in June, will investigate the social and environmental impact of disposable so-called ‘fast fashion’, and the wider implications for the fashion supply chain.
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It will examine the carbon, resource use and water footprint of clothing throughout its lifecycle. It will also look at how clothes can be recycled, and waste and pollution reduced.
Common Objective (CO), a business network for the fashion industry that uses technology to match members with the connections and resources, has welcomed the inquiry as an opportunity to explore how best to address the environmental and social issues created by the sector.
“The EAC inquiry into the impacts of fast fashion comes at a crucial time as the growing consumer interest in sustainable fashion is met with increasing evidence of the impacts of fashion across the entire value chain from fibre production through the end of life of our clothes,” CO says. “For the UK, the currently unknown full impact of Brexit on the industry also presents a challenge for the local manufacturing sector.”
The organisation has submitted recommendations to the Government’s Environmental Audit Committee that it says addresses the core issues regarding the social and environmental impacts and waste in fashion.
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By GlobalData“We draw from our Mapping the Industry report and drill down into this research to address some of the key issues raised by the inquiry’s questions.”
It offers three recommendations:
#1 Volume
Our first recommendation is to place volume considerations firmly on the agenda. Creative solutions exist which would have the consequence of furthering the success of UK industry and thriving fashion sector, and this inquiry has the potential to support and catalyse these if they are openly addressed.
#2 Supporting collaboration
Over the 12 years of operation of the Ethical Fashion Forum, which was founded as the industry body for sustainable fashion in 2006, we have seen many new and impactful initiatives emerge in the UK. These are each impacting better practices, however, they are not operating in a joined-up way. By supporting collaboration between these initiatives to work towards our common objective of a more sustainable industry, the government can multiply the impact of what is already being done and catalyse change.
#3 Regulation and incentives
The UK and London is already a global leader with respect to sustainability innovation, with a vast and growing network of entrepreneurs, creatives and business leaders proving the business case for more sustainable practices. This has already created a USP for UK fashion businesses, professionals and graduates in a global market, and will increase the contribution of the fashion industry to national GDP.
The government can incentivise and support this sector in many ways, from tax incentives for more sustainable practices to well-designed regulation that builds upon the landmark Modern Slavery Act.
