PLANET

Planet, one of the four main pillars of fashion business school, is defined as prioritizing products that are sustainably sourced, produced and transported.

The development of sustainable products can be achieved in regard to the concept of circular economy, defined as the cyclical use of resources and measurement against specific indicators, such as preservation of materials, functions, components, products, and embodied energy. Due to the various ideas of circular economy such as reusing, recycling, and refurbishing of existing materials, an extended life cycle for clothing can be attained, ergo reducing waste, and increasing further value of items, working in harmony with the planet. This model specialises in tackling the grave disadvantages of planned obsolescence, where products are designed with an excessive amount of readily available, cheap materials, intended to have a limited lifespan so consumers are encouraged to purchase them again.

Implementing circular economy is crucial for the enrichment of the environment, as it reduces the speed in the decline of natural resources, landscape, and habitat disruption to diminish biodiversity loss. Further support for the advantages of this model includes a decrease in the overall annual emissions of greenhouse gases, as per the European Environment Agency, which states industrial procedures and product utilization contribute to 9.10% of greenhouse gas emissions within the EU, whereas waste management constitutes 3.32%.

The growth of the world’s population is directly proportional to the demand for raw materials, causing a diminishing lack of finite supplies and therefore challenging the act of sustainability, as it may compromise the needs of future generations due to the requirement of fulfilling the demands of the present. However, sustainability in relation to fashion can be supported through seeking alternative strategies in the early production stages, either through manual intervention or computer software. These have assisted in minimising the environmental ramifications of the production and use of a garment, along with complimenting their use within the industry, with examples of tools and models known as the EcoMetrics/calculator, the Kering Environmental Profit and Loss tool, and the Higg Index. The utilization of these tools allows for measurements of the environmental impacts of different textiles and processes, accompanied with authorising brands, designers, and retailers to measure, and evaluate their sustainability performance. Despite a small number suggesting that sustainability may restrict innovation, it may further provide a new foundation for responsible yet brilliantly creative ideas, reinforcing the UN SDG Responsible Consumption and Production.

REFERENCES:

European Parliament (2015). Circular economy: definition, importance and benefits | News | European Parliament. [online] www.europarl.europa.eu. Available at: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/headlines/economy/20151201STO05603/circular-economy-definition-importance-and-benefits#:~:text=What%20is%20the%20circular%20economy.

‌Gwilt, A 2020, A Practical Guide to Sustainable Fashion, Bloomsbury Publishing USA, London. Available from: ProQuest Ebook Central. [7 October 2023].

Moraga, G., Huysveld, S., Mathieux, F., Blengini, G.A., Alaerts, L., Van Acker, K., de Meester, S. and Dewulf, J. (2019). Circular economy indicators: What do they measure? Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 146(1), pp.452–461. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2019.03.045.

Sabatini, N. et al. (2023) Fashion communication in the digital age: Proceedings of the factum 23 conference, Pisa, Italy, 2023. Cham, Switzerland: Springer.