Abstract
The greening of the apparel industry is a significant and evolving trend that
is likely to affect every facet of this enormous global industry. Under both
internal and external pressure to reduce the environmental impact of growing,
processing, treating and dyeing fibers and to eliminate exploitation and
inequities in labor practices, textile and apparel companies are eager to show
consumers a new, sustainable approach to fashion without sacrificing style or
profit.
At the consumer and retail level, this trend is evident in a growing number of
designers, manufacturers and marketers making sustainable claims. "Sustainable
apparel" is an umbrella concept that includes some or all of these practices:
- Use of certified organic natural fibers (wool, cotton, linen)
- Use of highly renewable fibers (bamboo, soy)
- Use of low-impact synthetic or recycled fibers
- Use of non-toxic or reduced-toxicity fiber processes and treatments
- Use of low-impact or natural dyes
- Design and color choices aimed at longevity rather than planned
obsolescence
- Fair trade, ethical labor practices, and elimination of child labor and
other exploitation
- Reduced energy use throughout the product life cycle
- Minimal or environmentally appropriate packaging
Consumer awareness, grown through the organic foods movement (and more
recently, the local foods drive) and other health and environmental concerns,
is creating a heightened sensitivity to all dimensions of ethical production.
As a result, companies must avoid "greenwashing" and create transparent,
consistent and substantive sustainability and social responsibility
initiatives. However, lack of standards and regulation, and a proliferation of
claims and labels, leaves room for very broad interpretations of sustainable
apparel.
In this environment, manufacturers and marketers of all kinds -- tiny
boutiques to huge mass-market chains, low-end to high-end pricing, brand
identities including yoga clothing, infant clothes, glamorous designer
fashions, menswear, outerwear - are seeking to identify themselves as
sustainability minded and authentic. Wal-Mart is the largest purchaser of
certified organic cotton, but many emerging designers are also aiming in the
same direction. There is pressure on the supply chain, and pressure to quickly
develop new technologies and systems that will demonstrate an environmentally
and socially conscious commitment.
Though sales figures are hard to pinpoint in this rapidly growing and emerging
market, the report quantifies international figures. The report also estimates
the growth of the market and identifies both opportunities and challenges for
existing and new market entries.
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