Ethical Fashion and Sustainable Clothing Manufacturing

Ethical Fashion – Is it Time to Reflect?

The impact of fast fashion on the environment has been the subject of much debate around the world. Major fashion giants have woken to realise their responsibility of switching to more sustainable practices. Better techniques are being developed to recycle, create sustainable fabrics, and promote technologies and manufacturing protocols. These are all aimed at significantly reducing the carbon footprint of fashion.

The world is waking up to their moral and commercial responsibility of making conscious choices that help in the preservation and conversation of the planet while creating an effective supply chain.

However, is that enough to bring about an enduring change? The manufacturing units assuming responsibility to create a more sustainable process of production is surely a welcome start but it is not enough to bring about a profound impact. At the present rate, the fashion industry has set out to become the most polluting industry in the coming decade.

Different schools of thought blame this problem of excess on different factors. Some experts claim that the predominant reason for this superfluity is in the wasteful and unethical manufacturing and sourcing ways of major manufacturing giants across the world. Other experts suggest that it is consumerism and the international maximalist trend that is the real reason behind this crisis.

The Sustainability Crisis

There is a bigger crisis coming to fore as a result of this worldwide maximalist tendency.

There is much intellectual discourse about taking up eco-friendly ways of manufacturing to scale up production. Manufacturing giants all over the world are increasingly resorting to netter practices in this regard.

As a part of adopting to the sustainability drive, many major apparel retail brands have announced their “Go slow” approach. In the present times, there is an immense emphasis around the world on creating and adhering to sustainable manufacturing practices.  They have pledged that they will be creating less while making more environmentally conscious choices throughout the different levels of their manufacturing, raw material procurement and managing supply chains.

It is possible to upscale sustainably while keeping a check on the carbon footprint? Every business requires manufacturing at some point. It is important that we recognize the worldwide need for creating sustainable manufacturing standards and practices to be able to bring about an enduring change and larger ecological welfare.

Scrutinising the entire chain of demand and supply, it does not take a genius to understand that rampant consumerism is emerging as one of the biggest threats to our environment. It is important for everyone involved in the supply chain to understand their collective responsibility towards making environment-conscious fashion choices. For this important, that the consumers reflect upon the negative impact of maximalist tendency and fast fashion upon the environment.

With the world slowly realising the snowballing effect of their fashion choices upon the ecology, it is also important that we do not lose sight of the impact of fashion on various communities. Ethical fashion choices are not restricted to bringing about a change in the environment, they are also important for the welfare of communities. The issue of garment sweat shops functioning in second and third world countries first came to light decades ago.

The role of the international journalism, activism and social media.

There is no doubt that the contemporary media and social media have played a large role in bringing about this newfound consciousness among patrons of fashion for choosing responsibly sourced fabrics, ethically made garments. There is a greater consciousness about the community impact of unethical fashion choices. The push for conscious and responsible fashion choices have been hugely instrumental in bringing about the change in labour law in many countries. This has ensured better work conditions for labour in many countries.

Promulgating the issue of sweat shops has also helped in closing many of such unethical garment factories in various south American and Asian countries.

What is ethical fashion?

Ethical fashion entails business and manufacturing practices, standards and protocols that help in bringing about a positive effect on the environment, humans and communities. Fashion is huge industry. It employs several people throughout the manufacturing, value addition and retail processes. Fashion is a big industry and thus if the various stakeholders involved in the industry do not choose to act responsibly, the impact on the ecology can be disastrous.

The role of corporate social responsibility in creating better fashion practices.

There are several businesses that are increasingly realizing their ethical responsibility to upscale their social welfare endeavours aimed towards communities. The major apparel and fashion giants of the world make millions in profit every year. It is important for them to give back to the society. As a part of the corporate social responsibility, many apparel manufacturing companies have taken to more conscious choices.

Companies proactively need to make better choices regarding fashion. Instead of devising techniques to increase their profits and saving up on labour and procurement costs, they should actively ensure that the labour force involved in the manufacturing process is well paid.

• It is important for the companies to ensure that;
• The work conditions of employees are safe and non-hazardous.
• There is no employment of underage children.
• The work facilities meet the needs of the work standards.
• The shifts of the workers are adjusted in a way to give them ample time for self-development, family, community and recreation.

Besides, it is also the prerogative of the manufacturing companies to see that the astronomical profits that they make from the sales are distributed fairly down to the last level of work. Corporates must assume responsibility for the standard of living of the workers. Ethical fashion is therefore a broad umbrella that takes within its purview adopting a complete set of practices and techniques to streamline and improve the outcome of fashion on ecology, humans and economy. Thus realising the collective and concerted responsibility towards countering maximalist tendencies in every sphere of production is the only way to counter this global ecological crisis.