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Fast fashion is no longer fashion – at least, among those who care about sustainability. Mass-produced, using environmentally unfriendly materials and transported thousands of miles from factory floor to store shelf, modern clothing is in an irreversible state of pollution and waste.
As consumer habits prioritize sustainable alternatives to fast fashion product lines, it is up to fashion brands to develop new ways to conserve resources and promote sustainability at all levels of the business.
The challenge recalls Infor Fashion’s director of strategy Helen Berenfelt’s time in another field. “Fashion is going the way of the food and beverage industry,” says Berenfeld, who has focused more than ever on the origins of raw materials and the efficient transportation of goods.
“Regulations on food sourcing – from identifying the animal to tracking and monitoring food processing – have been in place for years now,” she added. “Fashion is going the same way.”
5 Ways Technology Enables True Fashion Sustainability
By Infor
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Getting apparel manufacturers to embrace those principles of sustainability and transparency is becoming a requirement that can be driven by better data collection throughout the supply chain. For the most part, the fashion industry operates in a straightforward manner: clothes are made, presented, worn and finally disposed of, with relatively few items endorsing a charity shop or recycling centre.
Circular fashion, on the other hand, seeks to preserve the life of a given shirt, skirt or jumper beyond its initial purchase. This naturally requires the incorporation of new designs and processes designed to extend the life of the material. According to a study by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the restoration, resale, renovation, customization and rental markets could grow to $560 billion.
Circular fashion begins with the adoption of sustainable materials to ensure that goods are better recycled back into the economy after the initial purchase. Smart use and control of resources such as water and energy in the production process brings benefits to the fashion brand, creating efficiencies that help reduce costs.
“Fashion brands need to think carefully about the services they offer to find ways to extend the life of a product,” says Berenfelt.
Technological innovation in fast fashion
Some companies have shown innovation in this area. Nudi Jeans, the leading denim supplier in Sweden, expands its service portfolio to include the repair of customers’ jeans. Swedish retail giant H&M, meanwhile, encourages recycling, saying its stores “accept any pre-loved clothes and textiles for recycling and reuse”.
Additionally, “a lot of people in the fashion industry are now talking about the importance of a product passport,” says Berenfeld. This can be as simple as a QR code placed on the garment, which shows the customer options for extending the product’s life cycle, such as repair or recycling, from the time it was created.
A serious commitment to sustainability in the fashion industry also requires thinking about how to improve the process behind the scenes. “What people forget is the back end,” says Behrenfeldt. That’s where most of the environmental impact sits. Refinement requires investing in new ways to source materials, as well as implementing efficient software for inventory tracking and greater flexibility in production.
“Collaborating with suppliers and suppliers will make a significant contribution to eliminating waste and improving their energy use. Such participation in the supply chain is only possible with the technology deployed to ensure full visibility and accountability at all stages of production.”
An Infor Fashion ERP solution enables more efficient collaboration between suppliers, ensuring that new collections are produced sustainably. Essentially, for companies looking to increase the sustainability and transparency of their supply chains, such systems can help understand environmental impact, identify waste, and build products and services that allow consumers to extend the life of the products. hold them in their hands.
“These are steps that companies in the fashion industry need to consider,” Berenfelt said. “How do you produce zero waste? That’s impossible for the fashion industry, so manufacturers need to take whatever steps they can to reduce their impact on the environment – and make sure this information is visible to the consumer.”
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