At the current rate of growth, by 2030 annual global apparel consumption could rise by 63% – the equivalent to more than 500 billion additional t-shirts.
Environmentally, this is unwelcome growth from an industry that already has “a far-reaching impact on the natural environment, from the extraction of raw materials to the production, distribution, wear and disposal of clothes” according to the British Fashion Council’s white paper on Fashion and the Environment.
With the stakes, and the environmental impact, growing ever higher, a group of independent brands across the fashion, rental and vintage market have come together on Earth Day 2021 to raise awareness of sustainability issues in fashion.
Independent brands lead the way
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) make up half of the businesses in the fashion eco-system. While individually they lack the impact of larger players, the goal of the group behind the Earth Day initiative is that through collective action they can grow their voice and impact.
