Trends within the fashion industry are continuously changing, evolving, and developing. However, in recent years the latest trend has not been based on style, colour, or patterns. It has been the concept of sustainable fashion and ethical clothing. The fashion industry is the second largest polluter in the world, after oil. Textile waste, carbon dioxide emissions, water consumption, and unethical labour are just a few of the criticisms aimed at the fashion industry.<\/p>\n
Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the impact of fast fashion on the planet. Resulting in the increase of sustainable and rental fashion to ensure their wardrobes are as eco-friendly as possible. With this growing concern, pressure upon businesses\u2019 to move towards more sustainable methods has increased. However, this leads to questions such as \u201cwhat is sustainable fashion?\u201d and \u201cwhat is the future of the fashion industry?\u201d.<\/p>\n
Fast fashion developed through the ever-increasing demands of the fashion conscious, viral, and social media trends. As instant gratification becomes more important the idea of having good quality and brand-focused items has diminished.\u00a0 The fashion industry represents one of the largest polluters globally. Therefore, resulting in increased pressure for companies to change their business models.<\/p>\n
\u201cSustainability\u201d is defined as \u201cAvoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance\u201d. In terms of fashion, only using resources that the planet can naturally replace and not produce things that the planet can\u2019t naturally reabsorb. With regards to a circular economy, it is made up of a more linear model. Make the clothing as cheaply as possible, with the intention of short-term use, \u201ctake, make, dispose\u201d.<\/p>\n
In contrast, sustainable clothing considers the full lifecycle of the product. Including the design, sourcing, whole production process, packaging, delivery, workers, and consumers. Sustainable fashion is often described as \u201can all-inclusive term describing the product, process, and activities to achieving a carbon-neutral fashion industry, built on equality, social justice, animal welfare, and ecological integrity\u201d.<\/p>\n
The main considerations when looking into sustainability and fashion are:<\/p>\n
These should be considered for all stages of the lifecycle of a garment including production through to cleaning and maintaining the garment. Sustainable fashion should focus on changing the way people consume entirely. Meaning wearing what we already own, thrifting, renting, mending, upcycling, and washing with care.<\/p>\n
93 billion metric tons of clean water are used within the fashion industry annually. This equates to enough water to meet the needs of 5 million people. It takes 10,000<\/a> liters of water to produce one kilogram of cotton or approximately 3,000 liters of water for one cotton shirt. The cotton used for one pair of jeans requires almost 2000 gallons of water. In addition to a cotton shirt that requires 2700 liters. Furthermore, textile dyeing requires toxic chemicals that subsequently end up in our oceans. Leading to approximately 20% of industrial wastewater pollution worldwide.<\/p>\n Additionally, 500,000 tons of microfibers are released into the ocean each year from washing clothes. This is the equivalent of 50 billion plastic bottles. Of this 60% of those fibres are polyester that does not decay in the ocean. In fact, 35%<\/a> of all microplastics in our oceans are from synthetic materials. Microplastics harm marine life, as well as birds and turtles. One study has even found these plastics in human<\/a> blood and food from when animals have ingested them.<\/p>\n Research has found that the textile industry uses more than 20,000 chemicals. Approximately, half of all textiles are made from cotton, which is one of the dirtiest crops. Therefore, when grown it requires the largest percentage of chemicals. Around 25% of the world\u2019s insecticides and 18% of the world\u2019s pesticides. This further pollutes the soils and water that runs off from cotton fields, causing eutrophication and algal blooms. The cotton required to make a t-shirt requires on average 17 teaspoons of chemical pesticides and fertilisers.<\/p>\n The fashion industry has a large carbon footprint, accounting for 10% of global carbon emissions. This equates to 1.2 million metric tons of CO2 each year. Reports show if this continues the percentage could increase to 26% by 2050. In 2018, the textile industry created more greenhouse gas emissions than the carbon produced by France, Germany, and the UK combined.<\/p>\n The fashion industry is heavily reliant on fossil fuels. Almost 70% of all clothing is made from polyester or other synthetic fabrics from non-renewables like crude oil. Manufacturing is often coal-powered, plastic for packaging and hangers as well as distribution across the world which requires petrol.<\/p>\n In order for the fashion industry to really become more sustainable, brands need to work towards developing circular solutions. Whereby garments become fully recyclable after use. Lindstr\u00f6m has practiced and promoted sustainable<\/a> ways of working for decades. In 2021:<\/p>\n We have long practiced good corporate social responsibility with regard to the environment, our employees, and also our customers\u2019 own sustainability aspirations. Our business model is based on a circular economy, to optimise the use of natural resources and avoid overproduction. While making efforts to take care of the environment with our services, we are also improving our cost-efficiency.<\/p>\n We extend the lifetime of textiles and minimise the textiles in our stocks and customer inventories. By using durable materials and designing for circularity, we promote sustainable practices at the very beginning. Furthermore, by repairing and re-using our garments, we avoid millions of kilos of unnecessary textile production.<\/p>\n We optimise the use of water and energy in our laundries as well as our customer delivery loads and routes. Lower washing temperatures, shorter process times, and efficient energy use have improved energy efficiency in our laundries. In the washing process, we utilise heat from wastewater to warm fresh water. Then when textiles reach the end of life, we recycle them as new products, as raw material for different industries, or as fibers back to the textile industry.<\/p>\n Lindstr\u00f6m\u2019s rental service is a circular economy solution. Lindstr\u00f6m is committed to maintaining the clothes as far as possible. The life cycle of a Lindstr\u00f6m work garment is three years on average. During this time the garment is washed 50 times and repaired approximately 6 times. Even the end-of-life disposal is carried out in a sustainable way. Industrial workwear rental<\/a> is always a greener choice. In the circular economy business model, new clothes are taken only in circulation when needed.<\/p>\n When you use our service<\/a>, we not only acquire the workwear, but we also wash, maintain, repair, renew, and even store it on your behalf. We deliver clean, well-kept clothing weekly, directly to every employee\u2019s locker or another spot of your choosing. That way you can stress less and focus on your actual work.<\/p>\n As a workwear rental company, we offer the best solutions for companies and organisations of all sizes and industries<\/a>. From healthcare, maintenance, retail, automotive, food processing, and heavy metal industries. If you want your employees to look great, feel good, and work better we\u2019re here to help, contact us<\/a> today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Trends within the fashion industry are continuously changing, evolving, and developing. 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Climate Change<\/h3>\n
Be Sustainable With Lindstr\u00f6m<\/h2>\n
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Reduce Overproduction<\/h3>\n
Conserve Natural Resources<\/h3>\n
Move Towards Rental Workwear<\/h2>\n
Why Buy When You Can Rent?<\/h3>\n
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