Can Fashion Truly Be Sustainable?

Reducing a brand's environmental impact is a complex endeavour. Still, for aspiring green entrepreneurs, every step counts. We speak to experts who are making concerted efforts to minimize fashion's ecological footprint, so we can leave our planet a better place for the next generation.

- Karishma Tulsidas & Sasha Gonzales

Did you know that the fashion industry is not part of Singapore's Green Plan 2030, the ambitious national movement that outlines concrete action steps that will help us meet our net-zero objectives by the second half of this century? That's not to say that the Green Plan is not intensive enough (it is), but it means that all of us - consumers and fashion players alike need to play our part. The unvarnished truth is that fashion is one of the most polluting industries in the world, emitting 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, more than shipping and aviation combined. Moreover, only 4 percent of the 137,000 tonnes of fashion and textile waste is recycled.

These numbers are mind-boggling, especially when we see the word "sustainability" bandied about liberally in fashion. But according to a Business of Fashion Sustainability Report, fashion sustainability is not regulated by an external governing body; neither are there standardized frameworks that set regulations in place. The jargon used varies from company to company, and without a standardized language, it becomes increasingly complex to implement must-haves versus good-to have - which results in companies not really understanding where or how to start their journey.

Then, there is the fact that fashion production entails many steps in the process, including textile manufacturing, design, transportation, and distribution. And let's not forget the end of life of the item you're wearing - most of which ends up in a landfill.

In November 2021, Singapore's Textile and Fashion Federation (TaFF) announced the launch of its Fashion Sustainability Programme, which came to fruition in July this year. The agency has released a road map of sorts for brands, designers, and manufacturers who are looking to reduce their environmental footprint* across all layers of the fashion chain, and gain access to green financing.