1. INTRODUCTION
Figure 1. Graphic from Ellen MacArthur Foundation, clothing sales growth and the decline in clothing utilization1
Over the recent years, the negative environmental and social impacts resulting from the fashion industry have rapidly increased. Indeed, the industry has been growing at an average rate of 5.5% annually2, today nearing a value of US $2.6 trillion, having produced an approximate number of 130.6 billion items of clothing and footwear in 2019 alone3. Largely driven by the ‘fast fashion’ phenomenon (referring to the quicker turnaround of new collections and lower prices), the growing middle-classes have been doubling the consumption of clothing over the past 15 years – yet the lifetime of clothing used has been in steady decline (see figure 1). Due to the unsustainable practices and poorly regulated supply chains, the negative impacts of such trajectory are dire. For instance, the fashion industry today accounts for between 20-35% of microplastic flows ending in the ocean, and in 2015, outweighed the carbon footprint of international flights and maritime shipping combined, exceeding 1.2 billion tons of CO24. Overall, the industry has been estimated to constitute 10% of all carbon emissions emitted globally5. 1
Euromonitor International Apparel & Footwear (volume sales trends 2005-2015); World Bank, World Development Indicators, cited in Ellen MacArthur Foundation, A New Textiles Economy: Redesigning Fashion’s Future, Cowes, 2017, p. 18 2 The Business of Fashion and McKinsey & Company, The State of Fashion 2017, New York, 2016, p.11 3 Fashion Revolution, Fashion Revolution White Paper, London, 2020, p.40 4 ibid. 5 McFall-Johnsen, M., ’These Facts Show How Unsustainable the Fashion Industry Is’, World Economic Forum: Environment and Natural Resource Security, 31 January 2020,
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