By Verity, UWE Bristol Associate Professor.
Associate Professor, Verity, tells us how her research is tackling the environmental issues and social injustice caused by fast fashion. She’s working to educate people on the positive changes they can make by supporting sustainable fashion. Keep reading to learn more about Verity’s work.
How I found my passion for sustainable fashion
My name’s Verity, and I’m an Associate Professor at UWE Bristol, where my work involves researching sustainable solutions for the fashion industry. Fast fashion is a buzz word we’re all hearing more frequently, whether it’s in the news, on our social feeds or in TV advertising. For example, through advertising on the much famed ‘Love Island’, eBay boosted sales of pre-loved clothing. But what exactly does the term “fast fashion” mean?
In a nutshell, fast fashion is inexpensive clothing that’s quickly mass produced by retailers in response to the latest trends. This means that consumers can snap up affordable styles soon after they’ve seen them on celebrities and catwalks. The problem is they don’t get worn for long before they’re discarded in favour of the next trend.
Why fast fashion is a sustainability issue
The UK is an epicentre of fast fashion in Europe – buying and discarding far more than any of our European neighbouring countries. This is fuelling a cycle of overproduction and overconsumption that’s having a direct impact on the environment.
The fashion industry is responsible for 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions and consumes more energy than the aviation and shipping industries combined. Its production techniques also demand vast quantities of water, which end up back in our waterways, polluted by dyes and chemicals.
“There are some shocking statistics revealing the impact the industry is having on the environment. In the UK alone, 13 million items of clothing end up in landfill every year.”
How my research is making a difference
The work I’m doing at UWE Bristol aims to help transform the fashion industry. Through my research, I’m tackling the environmental issues and social injustice caused by fast fashion. This means looking at the impact our actions have on people and the planet and exploring what we can do to change things for the better.
For example, I deliver a free online course called ‘Who Made My Clothes?’, which has attracted over 70,000 learners to date. This shows that people are interested in the issues around fast fashion and want to learn more about how they can make positive changes.
I’m also passionate about educating children to protect the environment for future generations. Eco anxiety is a huge problem for young people. In fact, 50% of children seen by counsellors and psychologists disclose it as a concern. To tackle this issue head on, we’ve worked with Friends of the Earth to develop supportive resources that parents can access from their website.
“The statistics are alarming, but we need to also look for the good news stories and focus on the things we can feel positive and optimistic about.”
Three ways we can make our fashion more sustainable
My top 3 tips for supporting sustainable fashion are:
- Buy good quality clothes (even better if they’re second hand) that you love and wear them
- Wash clothes less frequently
- Check out the fashion transparency index to find out which brands are prioritising sustainability.
Find out more on UWE Bristol’s Change the world with us webpage.