Starting on the road to sustainable clothing
Fashion, clothing, and textile industry representatives have met for the first time with environmental and ethical groups to look at how they can work with government to improve the sustainability of clothing throughout its life cycle.
Clothing, across its life cycle, generates a range of environmental, social and economic impacts – with the growth in fast fashion and consumption being a key factor in this.
Opening the event, Joan Ruddock, Minister for Climate Change, Biodiversity and Waste, said:
“Increasingly, consumers really care about the environment and the social impacts associated with clothing. And clothes, almost more than any other product, fill magazines and get column inches. Not only are consumers really getting their teeth into this, but fashion journalists are increasingly keeping pace with the green game.
“There are plenty of examples of people in the industry already seeing sustainability as an opportunity, not a threat. There are people taking an active role in ethical sourcing, designing and producing clothing throughout the supply chain.
“That’s why Defra is aiming to work collaboratively with the clothing and fashion industry to improve the sustainability of clothing.”
In 2006, UK clothing and textiles produced up to two million tonnes of waste, 3.1 million tonnes of CO2 and 70 million tonnes of waste water. Clothing imports into the EU as a whole now account for 42 per cent of the global market. In the UK only 10 per cent of our clothing is manufactured at home, the rest is imported.
Speaking at the event, Katharine Hamnett, one of the industry’s most ethical and environmentally aware designers, said:
“Sustainable clothing doesn’t have to be more expensive. It can be more affordable and it should be more affordable.”
Following the event, on Wednesday 5 September, the clothing and fashion industry are invited to be involved in developing the sustainable clothing roadmap coordinated by Defra. The roadmap examines all stages of clothing’s life cycle (from raw materials to end of life), charts the environmental and social impacts arising at each stage, and proposes ways of limiting those impacts where most effective.
Video interview with Katharine Hamnett
Further information
Page last modified: 5 September 2007
Page published: 5 September 2007