How to Give Clothes and Shoes a New Life, Making Our Planet a Little Cleaner

Environmental issues are receiving enormous attention in the USA and Europe. However, many companies prefer to engage in greenwashing rather than solve problems. And the problems in the fashion industry and among consumers are indeed serious. Not everyone knows that clothing production is the second-largest polluter of the environment after the oil and gas industry. According to statistics kept by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the fashion industry generates more greenhouse gases than all international flights and maritime shipping combined. At the same time, eco-fabrics, clothes, and shoes made from recycled materials are currently only available to wealthy consumers. This means that numerous factories around the world will continue to produce goods from synthetic materials that poison the environment.

Are there any realistic trends in eco-fashion, and will they develop in opposition to greenwashing? We will explore this in this article.

Eco-trends exist, but traditions are stronger.

Many brands are investing in the development of technologies that allow the use of renewable and abundant raw materials. For example, Stella McCartney recently launched a collection of glasses with lenses made from castor bean seeds, which are used in the production of castor oil. Other recent eco-trends include the use of Pinatex fiber from pineapple leaves. Hugo Boss and H&M are replacing rubber in shoes with a foamy material made from seaweed.

In addition, some manufacturers use paper fiber, coffee grounds, oil from used coffee beans, and even wildflowers to create clothing. This means that there are certain ecological trends in the fashion market that some companies are following.

10 ECOLOGICAL TRENDS

1. Sustainable materials (use of environmentally friendly materials)
2. Recycling (making clothes and shoes from used materials)
3. Environmentally friendly production processes (minimizing waste and using renewable resources)
4. Local production (production that reduces the carbon footprint)
5. Renting and exchanging clothes (developing services for renting and exchanging clothes instead of buying them)
6. Eco-friendly packaging (using recyclable packaging materials)
7. Certification and transparency (selling clothes and shoes with certificates confirming their ecological nature and transparency in the supply chain)
8. Minimalism and durability (production of high-quality and durable goods instead of their frequent replacement and disposal)
9. Eco-conscious design (sustainability principles in design to reduce environmental impact)
10. Product return and recycling (development of programs for the return and recycling of clothes and shoes to extend their life cycle and reduce waste)

And yet, in the collections of 2024, global brands and local players actively use traditional materials. Denim is back in fashion, and synthetics are still popular. Eco-trends and eco-materials in the global clothing market have been just a drop in the bucket for many decades. Global brands use "eco" as advertising, attracting conscious consumers to their initiatives to care for nature. According to very rough estimates, polyester, nylon, acrylic, and other synthetic fibers, which are forms of plastic, make up more than 60% of the material from which clothes are sewn today. Modern synthetics are comfortable and provide breathability. At the same time, even washing them harms the environment, not to mention the fact that synthetic fibers decompose poorly.

Back in 2016, ecologist Imogene Napier developed a test that showed how many microfiber synthetics can be released during washing: the leader in "lint" loss was popular acrylic. Polyester is also dangerous for the environment. Scientists have found that up to 700,000 fibers can be released during washing. Part of the microplastic reaches the world's oceans—these are tiny "traveler" fibers less than 5 millimeters long. In the ocean, they are absorbed by fish, marine animals, and even humans.

Is the Environmental Agenda a Green Camouflage?

There is a significant gap between manufacturers' claims about the environmental friendliness of their products and their commitment to sustainable development (ESG) principles and the reality. The fight against greenwashing is highlighted as a trend in the fashion industry in The State of Fashion 2023 report prepared by Business of Fashion and McKinsey.

Greenwashing largely relies on companies trying to convince consumers that their products are environmentally friendly. However, for example, in 2020, the European Commission conducted a study of online advertisements in the categories of "clothing, cosmetics, and household appliances." Source: Website screening (europa.eu). For the first time in history, the audit focused on the compliance of manufacturers' "green" promises with reality. It showed that 42% of the promises were exaggerated and even outright false. "Conscious," "eco-friendly," and "sustainable"—such adjectives were often found in advertisements but had almost no basis behind them.

At the same time, a 2021 survey, as reported in The State of Fashion 2023, showed that 88% of American Generation Z (born roughly between 1997 and 2012) do not trust brands that associate themselves with environmental protection. And 42% said they had no idea what makes clothes environmentally friendly.

The Way Out Is Rational Consumption

The transition of the industry to eco-fabrics is hindered by the economics of production, which are focused on mass-market clothing. It is much cheaper to buy new cheap synthetics, polyurethane soles, and leather substitutes than to recycle old materials. Most manufacturers are not ready to give up fabrics that are harmful to the environment, and the mass consumer, in turn, wants cheap goods.

In 2024, the global fashion industry will face certain challenges (slowed economic growth, persistent inflation, weak consumer confidence), but it will still show revenue growth of 2–4%. This is stated in a report prepared by Business of Fashion and McKinsey. And the luxury segment will grow by 3–5% worldwide. But in order to prepare for the challenges of the coming year, companies will have to tightly control their costs and inventories and stimulate growth through precise price management, the study says.

But even in these conditions, there is a solution—it is in economical (rational) consumption. Today, this is the only trend in the fashion market that causes optimism. In particular, in many markets of both developed and developing countries, custom-made clothing is popular today. Many local brands work on this principle. This is a more economical production in terms of resource consumption, and it does less harm to the environment. Moreover, it does not lead to the accumulation of large quantities of leftovers that occur during the mass production of clothing and footwear.

By the way, the secondary use of leftovers that go for disposal is also an example of economical consumption of resources. Leftovers can occur for many reasons. A customer was unable to buy the goods because they went bankrupt. Or the conveyor production, due to incorrect planning, partially overfulfilled the production plan, and some of the goods turned out to be unclaimed. The manufacturer, as a rule, recycles such goods, even if they are of high quality. By buying unclaimed goods, we give them, on the one hand, a new life, and on the other hand, we make our planet a little cleaner.

It is the trend toward rational consumption in the fashion industry that is likely to develop further. The consumer has long understood that only this approach will allow us to preserve the environment, so he votes not only with his heart but also with his wallet. Today, manufacturers of fashion goods must take responsibility for the environment. Rational use of resources and minimization of inventory do not lead to a significant increase in production costs and do not make goods significantly more expensive. Moreover, the implementation of such an ESG concept is available to every company, regardless of its size and capabilities.

About the Author, Danil Kontsevoy

Bringing over 17 years of leadership expertise in operations, product development, and revenue generation, Danil has played a pivotal role in fortifying or establishing policies, programs, and systems that catalyze organizational transformation. It's also worth noting that Danil successfully manages his own brand of kids bike, which has become a recognized symbol of his innovation and environmental stewardship. His enthusiasm is rooted in discerning unexplored market potentials and devising inventive strategies that yield outstanding outcomes across a spectrum of industries.