Environmental sustainability issues in the fashion industry

A general issue of the production of clothes is mentioned by Lykketoft (2019) as he states, that water and pollution is hard to control, because the production is executed in developing countries. However, Hasanuzzaman and Bhar (2017) argue that control needs to be taken to accommodate critical issues like climate change and resource exploitation. Further, Elmkvist (2019) states that a large amount of production is made in “insane conditions”. The issue of external production does not deprive fashion organisations from the responsibility in

producing environmentally and control is therefore an important aspect (Caniato, Caridi, Crippa, Moretto, 2012). One way to control the production is by visiting production sites (Elmkvist, 2019), because Tobiasen (2019) also conclude that no one make the products themselves in Denmark anymore, if they want to make profit. Nielsen (2019) argue that a solution could be by informing and making requirements to suppliers to jointly make a sustainable production with recycled or organic elements. Long-term supplier-buyer relationships are theoretically confirmed and can according to literature assist in the long-term solution of economic growth to support environmental sustainability (Caniato et al, 2012). Sustainable initiatives should further be integrated in every production (Nielsen, 2019).

At Serendipity Organics, Tobiasen (2019) says, they design the fabrics themselves and need to start the process a long time in advance, and further Elmkvist (2019) says they need to order large amounts and produce largely from the same fabric. Elmkvist (2019) also explain

that it is a challenge not being able to buy already-produced fabrics due to their demands for natural and organic fabrics, because they have to produce a certain amount of fabric.

Making the fabrics from scratch requires Serendipity Organics to order a large amount, which would also be the case for new brands choosing to make their own fabrics, but will also secure a unique design (Elmkvist, 2019).

5.1.1 Waste issues in the fashion industry

The reduction of waste through efficiency is the main goal of target 12.5 in the development goals (Bengtsson, Alfredsson, Cohen, Lorek and Schroeder, 2018) and waste management is stated important (Starik and Kanashiro, 2013). The lack of waste management, is said to go against the ability to maintain qualities valued in the environment, while resource

exploitation is one of the reasons (Hasanuzzaman and Bhar, 2017). Further, waste has a major impact on the environment primarily due to consumers’ disposal habits and lack of knowledge (Desore and Narula, 2018). The concept of ‘waste’ should according to Lykketoft (2019) be eliminated completely to move towards a circular economy and should be

accomplished through technological advancement that allows the possibility to reuse and recycle all resources. By that statement, he also advocate for the process-driven strategy towards environmental sustainability, to reduce environmental issues and make cost-savings as mentioned by Desore and Narula (2018).

Lykketoft (2019) also argues that there is a movement towards making end-of-use products become available for others instead of ending up as waste. Also at Soulland, Adler (2019) describes that they try to investigate how they can make use of consumer waste and how to take their own products back. Despite literature expects disposal of clothes to rise (Sandin and Peters, 2018), the empirical data collected in this research shows actors trying to reduce waste. To reduce waste and avoid “dangerous deadstock” (Nielsen, 2019) Won Hundred sells old and sample products at their Container Store and at their own as well as foreign outlets. However, Nielsen (2019) doubts the degree of sustainability, as it does not eliminate waste, but rather avoid immediate disposal. Elmkvist and Tobiasen (2019) also point to the unsustainable nature of the industry, as products quickly lose value, become ‘waste’ and because sales starts before the seasoned collections even hit the actual annual season. Low production costs (Caniato, Caridi, Crippa, Moretto, 2012) and demand for fast fashion

(Brodish, Nixon and Cirka, 2011) is stated in literature to cause this structure in the industry.

Nielsen (2019) also support the problematic notion that consumers simply want new clothes.

This notion does not match the theory on anti-consumption (García-de-Frutos et al., 2016),

as it seems consumers may not be ready to discard the fast way of consuming and have had limited anti-consumption effect on the brands investigated.

Waste also arises in the production for companies with a small production. A ‘minimum requirement’ term is often used by the designers, as Nielsen (2019), Adler (2019) and Tobiasen (2019) describe how suppliers require organisations to order a certain amount of production. Waste appears from the fabrics that are not used also caused when the supplier plan and execute the production of ordered products and are allowed to produce five percent higher or lower than ordered (Adler, 2019). As stated in literature, initiatives can therefore be challenging (Starik and Kanashiro, 2013), and does not necessarily have to do with

investment (Caniato et al., 2012). Because the industry standard allows for such deviation in production, suppliers often order more materials to secure enough material, but also to sell more and they thereby risk producing more waste (Adler, 2019). To avoid waste and unnecessary exploitation of resources, Caniato et al. (2012) suggest the use of green

production processes and clean technologies. Adler (2019) explains that excess fabrics for a smaller production of a shirt, can vary from five to a hundred meters. Nielsen (2019) and Fredin (2019) describe how excess fabrics may be used in other product groups or

collections to use all the fabric. They hereby show adaptability to the industry as well as the environment using learning and responsibility towards recovery of damaged environment as mentioned by Starik and Kanashiro (2013). Technology is an important element as the right cutting technique can reduce waste down to fibre level (Adler, 2019). The minimum

requirement, Nielsen (2019) state, can also cause organisations to pay extra for their products for the lack of orders or they may have to reproduce, which Nielsen (2019)

questions in terms of level of sustainability. This kind of practice can also be argued to feed the unsustainable fast fashion practice (Brodish, Nixon and Cirka, 2011), when pressuring designers to order and produce more, than necessarily sold.

Nielsen (2019) explains the following practice is used: Best selling styles are often produced with running qualities, which means that the same fabrics can be used for styles that

appears in every collection with smaller design changes (Nielsen, 2019). If products

designed show bad performance, when selling to retailers, Nielsen (2019) argues that both economic and environmental benefits will be obtained, removing the product from the production as quick as possible. Because every step in the value chain causes environmental impact with use of energy, fertilizer and solid waste, it can be a crucial element to use technology in the production to avoid excess fabrics (Desore and Narula, 2018). Some technologies can cut fabrics more effectively and the industry is further dependent on development in areas such as energy (Adler, 2019).

The garment collecting initiative at H&M is one suggestion to comprehend disposal and prevent waste (Møgelgaard, 2019). Adler (2019) suggests a recycling centre as waste management provided by municipalities or the state, which according to him should be possible due to the experience in well-established collecting systems in the Nordic countries.

This should include the possibility to assort and recycle the textiles after collection (Adler, 2019). Recycling and reusing options is important actions in reducing waste, when increased consumption cannot be avoided (Ekström and Salomonson, 2014). Fredin (2019) also argue for a collective system to collect textiles, since small organisations do not have the capacity to collect despite a will to do so and because it would require the collection of several tons.

Tobiasen (2019) also state that they are not able to send things for new production.

Moreover, they would benefit little from doing so, when making natural products, because they are harder to recycle (Piribauer and Bartl, 2019). Both Adler (2019) and Fredin (2019) argue that a waste system should be bigger than one single organisational activity. Adler (2019) reasons this by stating that know-how will be lost and that he would not find an H&M, whenever he needed to dispose of clothes. Theory states that the need for recycling and end-of-use solutions only points to the fact that change in consumption is needed (Connell and Kozar, 2012). Fredin (2019) shows doubts in how to find the optimal solution by questioning how H&M dispose the collected textiles and how a collective system would function. Fredin (2019) states that consumers, organisations and suppliers as well as the entire society have a responsibility in terms of making a better industry, because it is

important for everyone. However, she also states that consumers are responsible for 80% of the environmental footprint due to washing, drying, and lack of repair and reuse (Fredin, 2019).

5.1.2 Waste in consumption

There is a general, societal interest in becoming more sustainable and more people are stated to seek information on sustainable actions like reducing waste (Starik and Kanashiro, 2013). For consumers to buy more sustainable fashion, Møgelgaard (2019) argues that more transparency is needed for them to navigate between brands and degrees of sustainability. Still, theory on consumers show that awareness of sustainability does not necessarily mean that consumers are willing to by the products (Desore and Narula, 2018), because personal factors and price is more important (Goworek, 2011). Whether to choose sustainability or price when designing clothes is an evident issue, as it is also dependent on the consumer choice (Nielsen, 2019).

Research on sustainability has not yet been focused on waste management in the fashion industry in terms of implementation (Desore and Narula, 2018), but is argued to be an important subject to investigate to demonstrate how people, organisations and society can contribute to environmental values (Starik and Kanashiro, 2013). Tobiasen (2019) expect that clothes are passed on to other people and she is unsure where it otherwise might end.

Further, consumers lack skills to repair small issues in a garment (Elmkvist, 2019). Although designing fashion for longevity is a solution (Tobiasen, 2019), all products will at some point reach an end-of-use state (Adler, 2019). However, Adler (2019) states that there is a

difference in when the consumer chooses to be done with a product and when the product is actually not possible to use. After given the opportunity to be used as long as possible, it is suggested to repair (Elmkvist and Tobiasen, 2019), reuse or recycle through different waste management systems (Adler, 2019; Møgelgaard, 2019; Fredin, 2019). Such possibilities should also provide value to the consumer (Kahn and Islam, 2015).

To reduce waste, Møgelgaard (2019) describe how H&M do restocking by following the demands in their stores. Nielsen (2019) state how it is hard to control overproduction and avoid waste and that it would require a production of the exact amount needed. Prevention is in the literature partly argued to be difficult due to constant changes in the industry, but is better than reuse of overproduced fashion (Piribauer and Bartl, 2019). H&M have the ability to distribute and send fashion products between stores if some products prove more popular in other areas and thus avoid waste (Møgelgaard, 2019). In that way reduction of waste also include providing products at the right place, and for the consumer to choose only products they value and are willing to use many times and for many years (Møgelgaard, 2019;

Nielsen, 2019; Adler, 2019). The sustainable action of waste reduction can hereby be expanded to the retail level by being more efficient (Tang, Lai, Cheng, 2016). It does however also contribute to the availability of desired clothes, which can also be seen as contributing to the constantly changing fashion industry as argued by Desore and Narula (2019). Consumer behaviour is by several of the interviewees stated important as to what consumers choose to support, when it comes to sustainability (Nielsen, 2019; Møgelgaard, 2019).

Concluding notes

By informing and visiting suppliers, fashion brands can better control and make a

sustainable production together. If circular economy is to be accomplished, the concept of waste should be eliminated completely and the fashion industry needs a solution to the handling of waste, because the general structure causes people to consume. Waste issues

also arise in production with minimum requirement and an industry standard that allows production sites to deviate from production orders. Running qualities can be used in best performing products and technology can be used to minimize waste in production. Garment collecting systems managed by the state are suggested to secure know-how and that it is available to people. All products will reach an end state, but there is a difference in when consumers stop using it and when has reached end-of-life. Waste can also be reduced in retail operations when following demands of consumers.