Military Space News
TECH SPACE
Going green? British fashion struggles with sustainability
Going green? British fashion struggles with sustainability
By Lucie LEQUIER, Akshata KAPOOR
London (AFP) Sept 13, 2024
In an industrial underground space in central London, models in contrasting period dresses and playful streetwear strutted down a brightly lit London Fashion Week (LFW) runway.

But unlike most other shows, all the floral dresses, trending workwear and double-denim outfits were second hand at the event by charity Oxfam and online used clothes retailer Vinted's "Style for Change".

Bay Garnett, a sustainable fashion pioneer who picked out the pieces from Oxfam's warehouses, called the runway "really exciting".

"When we first did this show eight years ago, it was really not like this," Garnett told AFP backstage, noting the stream of enthusiastic attendees.

Despite the excitement surrounding the Oxfam show alongside another "pre-loved" runway by online auction site eBay, British fashion is struggling with sustainability.

Around 44 percent of all British companies overall have put in place a structured climate action plan, according to insurance company Aviva's "Climate-Ready Index".

By contrast, the fashion world is lagging sorely behind, a situation the Collective Fashion Justice (CFJ) charity said was "an embarrassment".

A recent CFJ report found that just seven of the 206 members of the British Fashion Council (BFC), which organises London Fashion Week, had set out targets to reduce their carbon emissions.

And only five of these -- or less than 2.5 percent -- had goals aligned with the 2016 Paris Agreement to cut global warming, CFJ said.

The UK is the third largest footwear and clothing market in the world, after China and the United States, according to analysis by the Fashion United platform.

A 2018 report from sustainability consultancy Quantis said the sectors account for around eight percent of planet-heating greenhouse gas emissions.

- Go big or go green? -

Luxury fashion giant Burberry -- a LFW veteran -- is one of the handful of brands publishing scientific targets.

Known for its tartan branding, the fashion house recently raised its emission reduction goals and hopes to be carbon neutral by 2040.

But BFC chief executive Caroline Rush said: "To set carbon reduction targets, you need a team to be able to measure your targets, understand how to reduce them and then report on them."

"For a small business that's quite a challenge."

To help, the BFC now has some 50 businesses that will go through its "low carbon transition" programme for designers.

Ideally, advocates say the programme should be extended to help brands monitor and report their carbon reduction plans.

Copenhagen Fashion Week has taken its own step to require all brands involved to meet a series of environmental goals.

In the United States, reform could come with a "Fashion Act" under consideration by the New York authorities, which would legally require businesses to cut emissions and take into account those of their entire supply chains.

"I think a lot of the issue is (that) the fashion industry can try to handball its problems to other industries," said CFJ director Emma Hakansson.

She explained that while there are many discussions on the climate impact of the meat industry for example, there wasn't the same pressure on producers of such materials as leather, wool and cashmere.

And yet the latter "are coming from the same supply chains", which use large quantities of water and emit methane.

- Textile waste -

There are a number of solutions to make fashion "greener", some of which will be on display at London Fashion Week.

Designer Ray Chu has created a vegan leather made using recycled tea leaves while Romanian designer Ancuta Sarca uses recycled materials in her footwear collections.

But such innovations could struggle to keep up with the scale of emissions and textile waste.

Some 300 tonnes of clothes are binned every year in the UK, according to a 2020 British parliament report.

Since then, the popularity of fast fashion brands like H&M and Zara, and ultra-fast fashion brands like Shein and Temu, has only grown.

Such brands sell cheaply made, mass-manufactured clothes at breakneck speeds, only for them to fall apart or be discarded after being worn a few times.

While many brands are turning to recycled materials, or offering clothing repair or rental services, the long-term solution seems to be to "slow down our habits of consumption in general", said Hakansson.

To help with this, people could work towards "cultivating a sense of personal style", she suggested.

"If you don't know what you as an individual like, then you're much more likely to follow these micro trends that are being really pushed on us very hard," Hakansson added.

With greater awareness of the challenges posed by climate change, shopping second-hand has become more popularity, noted Garnett.

"The kids have basically got the idea that... second hand -- it's a cool way to shop. By finding your own style, a one-off piece, it (becomes) like a style choice."

lul-aks/phz/gil

AVIVA

BURBERRY GROUP

Related Links
Space Technology News - Applications and Research

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
TECH SPACE
UN experts call for global system to trace critical minerals
United Nations, United States (AFP) Sept 11, 2024
UN experts called Wednesday for the creation of a global system to trace the extraction and production of critical minerals that are needed in the transition away from fossil fuels. The massive effort to develop renewable energy, essential in the fight against climate change, requires minerals and metals such as copper, cadmium, nickel and lithium, necessary for electric vehicle batteries, solar panels and more. Demand for such materials will quadruple by 2040 as nations race to limit global war ... read more

TECH SPACE
German army activates air-defence system, citing Russia threat

Major progress repored in Next-Gen OPIR Missile Warning Program

Poland says has 'duty' to down stray Russian missiles

Bluestone invests in Qualis Corporation to boost missile defense and space tech

TECH SPACE
Iran threatens 'action' over new Western sanctions

Kyiv urges allies to help shoot down Russian missiles, drones

Western powers sanction Iran over missiles to Russia

US says Iran has sent missiles to Russia to hit Ukrainians

TECH SPACE
Ukrainian drone strike kills woman near Moscow, Russia says

Latvia says crashed Russian drone was fully-armed Shahed

Latvia reports Russian drone crash on NATO territory

Ukraine shoots down 58 of 67 Russian attack drones

TECH SPACE
High-Speed Plasmonic Modulators Could Boost Space Communication Capabilities

Hughes and Boost Mobile Showcase Advanced Network Management for U.S. Navy

Orbit Secures $6 Million Contract for Advanced Naval Satellite Communication Systems in Asia

Tyvak Secures $254 Million Contract to Build Satellites for Space Development Agency's T2TL Gamma

TECH SPACE
US, UK top diplomats head to Ukraine with eye on weapons

Zelensky pushes for promised weapons as Russia advances

Poland reveals new defence deals worth $520 million

Britain suspends some arms exports with Israel

TECH SPACE
UN Security Council extends arms embargo on Sudan

US pledges $250M package for Ukraine; France to use Russian assets to finance Ukraine aid

Dutch boost arms spending to face 'ruthless Russian aggression'

British defense secretay rejects Israeli criticism of suspension of some arms exports

TECH SPACE
Senior China, US military officials hold 'in-depth' talks

China says top diplomat Wang Yi to visit Russia this week

De-facto US envoy warns Taiwan is not China's only target

China rolls out the red carpet for African leaders

TECH SPACE
New Technique Enables Mass Production of Metal Nanowires

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2026 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.