Despite the bold promises that global fashion brands have
made to create a more sustainable future, they continue to rely on plastic to
use synthetic fibers in their collections. These fibers are fueling plastic
waste and a climate crisis due to the fossil fuels needed to make them,
according to a Changing Markets report.
Uncontrolled green flush
According to a new report, 59 percent of claims from
European and UK companies such as H&M, ASOS and M&S are unfounded or
misleading to consumers. The report, titled Synthetic Anonymous: Fashion
Brands' Addiction to Fossil Fuels, examines some 50 major fashion brands; and
ranks 46 of the world's most presumably transparent brands, from the most
commercial to the luxurious, including Zara, Primark, H&M and Burberry, in
terms of the amount of fossil fuels in their collections and their commitment
to Exit. their sideways. In short, there doesn't seem to be a clear commitment
to ending your addiction to fossil fuel-based fibers.
Another study of 12 brands and over 4,000 products shows
that brands often mislead consumers with false environmental claims. Most
brands claim to be green, but 39% of the products studied have some kind of
environmental requirement. Fifty-nine percent of green applications violated
the guidelines of the UK Competition and Markets Authority in some way.
The largest number of violators were H&M (96% of
false reports), ASOS (89%) and M&S (88%). The study also showed that the
H&M Conscious collection contained an even higher proportion of synthetics
than the main one (72 percent versus 61 percent). Eighty-five percent of
Boohoo's products contained some sort of synthetic material, and 60 percent of
these were 100% pure synthetic.
Livia Firth, Co-Founder and Creative Director of Eco-Age,
notes: “For us at Eco-Age, this report comes out at exactly the time we need it
most. Near is a lot of discussions now about green washout, a much-needed
business model that we all have to embrace, but which is nearly impossible in
the fashion industry due to the sheer amount of synthetic fibers used. In this
regard, we are also working at EU level to ensure that the PEF label is using
the correct methodology and we hope that the European Commission will review
this groundbreaking report to ensure that the legislative path is correct.
The report also highlights how addicted the fashion
industry is to fossil-fuel-based fibers. Some brands promise to end the use of
natural polyester, but not synthetics in general. Most brands aim to solve the
fossil fashion problem by replacing disposable plastic bottles made from
natural polyester - a bogus solution because it is a one-way route to burial or
incineration.
Urska Trunk, Campaign Manager for Reshaping Markets,
says: “While brands are quickly taking advantage of consumers' interests by
using sustainability as a marketing tactic, the vast majority of these claims
are words and have no foundation. steps towards truly self-contained solutions,
such as not making the necessary investments to ensure a future where clothes
can be recycled and turned back into clothes. "
Disposable plastics
Retailer H&M said 90 percent of its recycled
polyester comes from disposable plastic bottles. Like H&M, Primark and
Zara, Inditex's flagship, rely on a false disposition of disposable plastic
bottles. However, unlike others, Inditex announced that it has invested € 3
million in funding for technological innovations that explore textile recycling
solutions, including the Inditex MIT-Spain Seed Investment Fund.
Synthetics problem
Synthetic fibers account for 69 percent of all materials
used in textiles. That figure is expected to rise to nearly three-quarters by
2030, of which 85 percent will be polyester, a material made from fossil fuels
such as oil and gas, produced using hydraulic fracturing technology. Synthetic
fiber production currently accounts for 1.35 percent of world oil consumption,
which exceeds Spain's annual oil consumption at 1.29 billion barrels of oil per
year.
Cheap synthetic fibers are not only harmful because they
allow substandard clothing to end up in the trash, but they also reinforce the
fashion industry's dependence on fossil fuels in a climate emergency.
Microplastic has also proven to be a critical blind spot
for most brands. Despite the known damage to human health and the environment,
including recent studies that have found microplastics in the placenta, feces,
and even those capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier, the vast majority
of brands have been inactive. on microplastics, delaying meaningful action,
citing uncertainty and calling for further research.
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