Introduction
The fashion industry is a huge contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the textile and apparel manufacturing sector accounts for one percent of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, but this number could balloon if nothing is done about it. Some companies have started making efforts to become more sustainable, but there are many challenges they face along the way—ranging from poor working conditions for workers overseas to consumer habits that don’t align with sustainability goals (looking at you, fast fashion). As technology advances and consumers become more educated on environmental issues, though, it’s possible that digitalization will help reduce our carbon footprint while still allowing us access to an amazing selection of clothes!
The fashion industry is making a huge effort to becoming more sustainable.
The fashion industry is a significant polluter of the planet. It’s responsible for 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, which account for nearly 80% of all human-caused environmental degradation. The fashion industry is also a major consumer of water and other resources. As such, it’s unsurprising that there’s been so much attention paid recently to its sustainability efforts: in 2017 alone, consumers purchased $1.7 trillion worth of clothing (and that figure doesn’t even include shoes or accessories).
The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), an organization representing more than 75 brands and retailers around the world working toward sustainability across the entire supply chain, has set out a goal to make all clothes 100% traceable by 2020—a laudable goal that could have huge positive ramifications on both human health and well-being as well as environmental issues like climate change if achieved successfully!
Digital fashion is a new way to reduce the fashion industry’s impact on the environment.
Digitalization is a powerful tool that can help us reduce the environmental impact of fashion. Digital technology has already been used to make sustainable changes in the fashion industry. For example, it has helped designers and clothing companies create less waste by cutting down on excess fabric and materials that were used in the past. With digital technology becoming more advanced, we’ll continue to see new ways it will be used to improve sustainability efforts in fashion.
Digitalization also helps people make more sustainable choices when shopping for clothes online or through apps like DAZEDROCKS! If you’re looking for stylish items but don’t want to buy something made from synthetic materials like polyester or rayon (or other materials that are harmful for our planet), you have many choices available now thanks to digitalization! By using your phone’s camera as well as an app’s augmented reality feature that allows you see how each piece looks without trying anything on first before purchasing it (if desired). This means no waiting around at stores just trying stuff on until finding something perfect – which usually ends up being quite expensive anyway!
Localization of clothing production is an important factor in reducing your carbon footprint.
- Localization of clothing production is an important factor in reducing your carbon footprint.
- The process of localization results in a significant reduction in shipping and transportation costs, resulting in fewer emissions.
- Localization also reduces packaging requirements, since the product can be sold directly to the consumer without requiring additional materials such as boxes and plastic sheets. This reduces the amount of waste generated during production and distribution.
- Localization reduces air conditioning needs because businesses are located closer to their customers (reducing travel time), which means they can use less power per unit sold than if they were located far away from consumers with different climates or seasons.
A new type of clothing called “smart” clothing may reduce the need for constant washing and ironing.
- Smart clothing is a type of clothing that is connected to a mobile app.
- Smart clothing can monitor your health and fitness.
- Smart clothing can be washed and dried at specific times.
- Smart clothing can be ironed at specific times.
- Smart clothing can be folded at specific times.
Recycling could be the future of the fashion industry, but it’s hard to scale up due to many challenges.
Recycling clothes can be a sustainable alternative to making new ones. But for a variety of reasons, it’s not as easy as it sounds. Recycling has several challenges that make it difficult to scale up and become a viable solution for the fashion industry:
- Designing recycling processes is complex and requires expertise in chemistry, biology, and technology—not something that most designers are trained to do.
- The technology needed to recycle synthetic fibers is not yet mature enough to create large quantities of high-quality textiles at low cost.
- There isn’t enough infrastructure set up globally to efficiently collect clothing left on top of landfills or in waterways (both by accident and because people don’t know what types of materials their clothes are made from).
It’s harder for mass-market consumers to change their habits than it is for designers.
As a consumer, you have more power to change the clothing industry than you might imagine. But in order to do so, you need to understand the complex system of design-to-manufacture that makes up your favorite clothes and accessories.
Designers are in a unique position because they’re less beholden to big brands than other designers—the people who make up their supply chains are often smaller or independent suppliers, who may be willing to take risks on new materials or processes if it can provide them with an edge against their competitors (and potentially help them win awards). That’s why it’s important for designers not only to become aware of environmental issues but also invest time into creative solutions such as creating sustainable fabrics and working within closed loops like recycling waste material into new products.
It’s unlikely that digitalization will solve all problems in sustainability in fashion.
In short, digitalization isn’t going to solve everything. It’s unlikely that digitalization will be a magic bullet for sustainability in fashion, and it probably won’t replace traditional fashion production.
The current state of affairs is this: the fashion industry has created a global supply chain with too many links in the chain for any one person or company to control it all. The result is a system that’s unsustainable and cruel to workers—and there are no easy fixes available, but there are things we can do as individuals that will help keep us from contributing further to this problem until real solutions appear on the horizon.
Digitalization may help us reduce our environmental footprint while still having access to amazing clothes!
Digitalization may help us reduce our environmental footprint while still having access to amazing clothes.
Many people are concerned about the amount of waste generated by the fashion industry and its negative impact on the environment. Digitalization offers an opportunity for brands, consumers, and even governments to make more sustainable choices about clothing production and consumption.
Conclusion
We hope that this article has given you some insights into how digitalization can help with sustainability in fashion. The future looks bright for all of us who love beautiful clothes and want to wear them without hurting our planet.