{"id":2333,"date":"2021-09-13T12:30:19","date_gmt":"2021-09-13T11:30:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-business-innovation\/?p=2333"},"modified":"2021-09-13T14:14:01","modified_gmt":"2021-09-13T13:14:01","slug":"uwe-senior-lecturer-verity-jones-promotes-importance-of-sustainable-fashion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.uwe.ac.uk\/research-external-engagement\/uwe-senior-lecturer-verity-jones-promotes-importance-of-sustainable-fashion\/","title":{"rendered":"UWE Senior Lecturer Verity Jones promotes importance of sustainable fashion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The first Sustainable Fashion Week<\/a> is here! Across the UK activities are going on that bring a focus on the fashion supply chain and the social, economic and environmental impact it has. It\u2019s hoped that the week will be filled with activities that are inspiring, empowering and begin to upskill the community; to equip people of all ages to have a more sustainable relationship with fashion and generate action for change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sustainable Fashion Week<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Why do we need the change? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The fashion industry contributes around 10% of global carbon emissions<\/a>, and makes up 20% of global waste water – polluting waterways with dyes and chemicals. It supports mono-agriculture and the wide scale use of artificial pesticides and fertilizers that see the ruination of soil structures and natural ecosystems. Add to this the often dangerous working conditions, excessively long hours of work for under the living wage and little by way of unionisation to protect the garment workers. Then there\u2019s the cultural appropriation<\/a> of ancient, often sacred textile designs incorporated into high street garments with no acknowledgment or compensation for communities. Once in the hands of the consumer, we have people washing nothing but a single item in a washing machine, wasting energy and water. The washing of synthetic fibres <\/a>produces the most microplastics escaping into water ways and oceans. When an item becomes unwanted (many of which are never even worn!), then there is the impact of textile waste.  Up to 70% of clothing<\/a> donated in Western countries ends up in a global clothing trade with tonnes of garments ending up in Sub-Saharan Africa. Some are sold while other are packed off to dumps<\/a> out of the sight of western sensibilities. Destroying other people\u2019s land, ruining their own local, traditional textile industries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fashion industry can be a disaster from beginning to end, but fortunately there are things happening to improve it.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Advocates of Sustainable Fashion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With all of this doom and gloom, it\u2019s often a relief to find that there are lots of people and organisations already working really hard to improve the situation. The Global Goals Centre<\/a> has \u2018Threads\u2019 as one of its central themes and is bringing together organisations and resources to support people of all ages wanting to find out more and make a difference to the fashion supply chain. Working with them, I surveyed over 700, 7-18 year olds earlier this year and found that, fast fashion is a concept little known about. (see the report about the Hear Our Voice survey<\/a>). We are working at developing a range of educational resources for children that will be available later this year and into 2022. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, it\u2019s not just children that don\u2019t know much about fast fashion (Jones, 2021<\/a>). A majority of adults too are unfamiliar with the issues too. So, where can you go for more information?  My work with Cymbrogi Learn<\/a> and The Ellen MacArthur Foundation<\/a> has seen the development of some great resources focusing on a shift to a more circular, sustainable model of fashion for educators (information about these courses here<\/a>). In addition to that there\u2019s the work of the international charity Fashion Revolution<\/a> that brings together designers, producers, makers, workers and consumers to demand a fairer fashion industry<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fashion Revolution<\/h2>\n\n\n\n