{"id":31618,"date":"2022-05-02T04:50:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-02T11:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yardi.com\/blog\/?p=31618"},"modified":"2026-02-22T15:42:33","modified_gmt":"2026-02-22T23:42:33","slug":"fashion-sustainability","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yardi.com\/blog\/fashion-sustainability\/","title":{"rendered":"Sustainable Fashion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When one thinks about big sustainability impacts, agriculture, energy production and other brawny industries often come to mind. But the manufacture, transport and disposal of t-shirts, pajamas, blouses and other garments create a sizeable footprint too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, garment production and transportation account for up to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, more than the aviation and shipping sectors combined. Growing and dyeing clothing material consumes 93 billion metric tons of clean water globally each year, about half of what Americans drink annually. Scientists estimate that 35% of the microplastics in the world\u2019s oceans, which can take hundreds of years to decompose, can be traced to textiles. Three-quarters of shirts and shoes end up burned or buried in landfills. Less than 1% of clothing is recycled into new garments and over 25% of returned items end up being thrown out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cBecause it is hard to make a better performing or more efficient blouse, handbag, or pair of socks, to motivate consumption, the industry pushes change. Not better \u2014 just different, cheaper, or faster,\u201d said Kenneth P. Pucker, former COO of footwear manufacturer Timberland, writing in Harvard Business Review in January.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018The biggest issue\u2019 for the industry<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Statistics like these are why Judith Magyar, a brand contributor to Forbes, describes sustainability as \u201carguably the biggest issue confronting fashion brands right now.\u201d The industry, she says, \u201cis waking up to the fact that decreasing its environmental impact will pay big dividends to both its constituent companies as well as society at large.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rising environmental, social and governance scrutiny is one reason for this growing awareness. \u201cYounger consumers value transparency, honesty and authenticity. Companies that are upfront with their products \u2014 everything from where and how they are manufactured to the materials used and the environmental impact \u2014 may stand a better chance of winning over this audience in the long run,\u201d according to Magyar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In response, some fashion participants are embracing \u201ccircularity,\u201d a business model where \u201cwaste and pollution are eliminated, and materials are used for as long as possible, then reused for new products to avoid the need to exploit virgin resources,\u201d as described by Renee Cho of Columbia University\u2019s Columbia Climate School.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Evidence of a shifting mindset<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although sustainability progress has been slow by some measures, \u201cheightened conversation and urgency is a positive sign. Critics are encouraged that some of the biggest brands and highest-ranking executives are talking about end-of-life impacts and establishing biodiversity strategies, reflecting a shift in mindset as new strategies are developed,\u201d says Rachel Cernansky, sustainability editor for Vogue Business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n