How is Fashion Ecofriendly for Sustainable Smiles

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Removing barriers, not being a bystander and working towards betterment by itself is one step towards bringing a sustainable change…

As per the world Economic Forum, almost $300 billion in unused textiles sits in warehouses not effectively utilized. Does your start-up have an innovation to optimize value chains and reduce waste?

As per Uplink, more than $288 billion worth of textiles are sitting unused in warehouses around the world, wasting the water, energy and resources used to manufacture them. Queen of Raw matches businesses that want to resell their excess fabrics... With Organizations that want to buy them at a reduced cost. This saves on storage and landfill space and creates an extra source of profits for labels. But most importantly, it makes fashion more sustainable. It is powered by blockchain technology. Businesses can also manage complex waste streams. By reusing, reselling, and recycling excess inventory, all in one place, as well as tracking their carbon footprint.

So, old fabrics and furs were used as materials and sources, repurpose them by hand into beautiful fashion garments, with minimal waste and minimal toxins, resulting in sustainability. The fashion industry considered one of the planet's largest polluters, generating 1.2 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases a year. More than shipping and aviation combined. It is also the second most water-intensive industry consuming 79 billion cubic metres per year. One T-shirt takes an average 700 gallons of water to produce it and another 700 gallons of water to wash it in its lifetime. That is enough water for two people to drink around the world for 3 years. Leveraging powerful technology solutions, fashion and textiles have the power to solve the world's water crisis. By helping organizations manage their waste streams with greater transparency, Queen of raw has already saved over 1 billion gallons of water.

Reports say, globally only 1% of clothing is recycled. To reduce the industry's huge environmental footprint, the Centre for Nature and Climate advocates for a systemic rethink of production and consumption patterns.

There was a fashion show conducted out of huge clothing dump in Chile. To demonstrate how much clothing humanity throws away. Every Chile imports around 60,000 tonnes of used clothing. 39,000 tonnes of which is illegally dumped in the Atacama Desert. The show was organized by a Chilean foundation called Desierto Vestido, which means 'desert dress' in English. It teamed up with fashion activists and a Brazilian advertising agency. To highlight the environmental impact of this growing waste mountain. the models paraded through the dump, wearing clothes made from textiles that had been discarded there. It was one of Desierto Vestido's many projects to raise awareness about recycling textiles. Fashion is the planet's third most polluting industry after food and construction (Source: Net-Zero challenge, the Supply chain opportunity, World Economic Forum). It's thought to be responsible for 10% of global Co2 emissions. 100 billion items of clothing are produced every year. Just 1% are recycled into new clothes. The good news is that fashion is becoming more progressive. The global second-hand apparel market grew 18% in 2023. 15 times faster than the broader retail clothing sector, Innovators are taking up the challenge of tackling clothing waste. Hence the start-up, Queen of Raw focused on an initiative for old clothes to be reused, resold or recycled, rather than send to land fill.

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Initiatives for Sustainability

The success of initiatives like Queen of Raw and their efforts to create a more sustainable fashion industry can serve as a model for other sectors. Here are some suggestions on how the efforts of the Global Economic Forum and similar initiatives can be replicated across various strata of society:

? Education and Awareness Campaigns: Implement widespread awareness campaigns to educate the public about the environmental impact of the fashion industry and the benefits of sustainable practices. This can be achieved through social media, public service announcements, and educational workshops. Integrate sustainability and environmental education into curricula of Fashion design schools to teach students about responsible consumption and waste reduction from an early age.

? Business Incentives and Support: Incentivize Sustainable Practices by providing tax breaks or grants to businesses that implement sustainable practices, such as using recycled materials, reducing waste, or adopting circular economy models. Create incubator programs and provide funding for startups focused on sustainability in the fashion industry, similar to Queen of Raw.

? Government Policies and Regulations?through Legislation on Waste Management. Enforce stricter regulations on textile waste management, including penalties for illegal dumping and incentives for recycling and waste reduction. Implement policies that hold manufacturers responsible for the entire lifecycle of their products, encouraging them to design for durability, reuse, and recyclability.

? Technological Integration: The use of blockchain technology to create transparent supply chains, allows consumers to trace the origins and environmental impact of their purchases.

? Collaborative Efforts: Public-Private Partnerships foster collaborations between governments, businesses, and non-profit organizations to create a unified approach to tackling textile waste and promoting sustainable practices. Join and support global networks and initiatives like the Global Economic Forum to share best practices, resources, and innovations.

? Consumer Empowerment through Sustainable Fashion Choices can encourage consumers to make informed choices by promoting brands that prioritize sustainability. Offer workshops that teach people how to repair and upcycle their clothing, extending the life of garments and reducing waste.

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Specific Strategies for Different Strata of Society

High-Income Strata

?? Luxury Brand Initiatives: Encourage luxury brands to adopt sustainable practices and lead by example, setting trends that influence the broader market.

?? Green Investments: Promote Green investments in sustainable fashion companies and technologies.

Middle-Income Strata

?? Affordable Sustainable Options: Increase the availability of affordable sustainable clothing options to make eco-friendly choices accessible to a wider audience.

?? Retailer Partnerships: Partner with mid-range retailers to offer recycling programs and sustainable product lines.

Low-Income Strata

?? Accessible Recycling Programs: Ensure that textile recycling programs are easily accessible and free of charge for low-income communities.

?? Employment in Sustainable Initiatives: Create job opportunities in recycling, upcycling, and other sustainability-focused initiatives within these communities.

By implementing these strategies, the efforts of the Global Economic Forum and other initiatives can be replicated across various levels of society, leading to a more sustainable and responsible fashion industry globally.

Eventually, fashion is what we make of it to be sustainable and friendly!