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4.3 Clothing
The clothing sector is much more diverse than that of mattresses
or concrete. The fashion industry consists of many different
brands of various sizes, but the big fast fashion brands are clearly
dominant. These fast fashion companies largely differ from the
slow fashion movement that has been popping up locally. Brands
operating internationally are in a very competitive business and
thus much focused on price, while the slow fashion companies
are usually small and experiment with new concepts higher on the
circularity ladder. The latter initiatives are supported regionally by
municipalities and environmentally conscious consumers. A big
challenge is whether the fashion brands can become sensitised to
these new concepts and move away from the linear to a circular
economy. Can the gap between fast and slow fashion be bridged by
innovative brands that already experiment with circular concepts
or by mainstream brands that seek new market opportunities?
In the Netherlands, the fast fashion clothing industry is under attack
for bad environmental practices at home and abroad, particularly in
developing countries. Urgency to restructure the clothing industry
has been expressed by governments, consumers and slow fashion
companies. Notably since 2010, several parties have been working
on smaller and bigger circular clothing initiatives, some of which I
was involved in as a transition broker.
The negative environmental consequences of the clothing sector’s
use of raw materials, water, energy and chemicals are clearly
visible. Seeking lower costs, production is often outsourced to
developing countries, were environmental regulations are often
less strict. Worldwide, the clothing industry is responsible for
about 10% of total CO 2
emissions. Moreover, due to how clothing is
produced, water shortages and pollution have created enormous
environmental, economic and social problems. For example, to
produce one T-shirt, about 2,500 litres of water is used; for one
pair of jeans it is 7,000 litres. Serious water pollution is caused by
the dyeing process and the use of plastics, particularly polyester,
which is used in about 60% of clothing. When washing our