The Consumer Demand for Sustainable Fashion: An Overview of Eco-Friendly Textile Practices
Sustainable and eco-friendly fabrics are increasingly popular due to growing concerns about the environmental impact of the fashion industry’s practices. Clothing production has doubled since the year 2000, and consumers are buying 60% more clothes than they did 20 years ago. Meanwhile, 85% of all textiles end up in landfills every year. Fast fashion’s culture of waste has arisen from producing new items at extremely low costs.
The trend toward sustainable and eco-friendly fabrics is driven by growing consumer demand for environmentally conscious products. Consumers increasingly seek sustainable fashion options and are willing to pay more for products that are eco-friendly and socially responsible. In response, many fashion brands are making a conscious effort to incorporate sustainable and eco-friendly fabrics into their collections. The following are some of the continually growing trends in sustainable and eco-friendly textile practices in 2023.
1-Recycling and Upcycling
Recycling is one of the growing trends in textile practices. Consumers now look for fashion brands that incorporate recycling materials, such as plastic waste or other textile byproducts, into their goods, such as Adidas with their Ultra Boost sneakers. Upcycling, on the other hand, involves transforming pre-used fashion garments or waste materials into new styles through a redesign. Brands have started using this method to reduce the amount of waste produced by the fashion industry and increase the lifespan of a garment, such as Urban Outfitters with their sustainable line Urban Renewal.
2-Next Generation Fabrics
Another growing trend is the usage of next-generation materials for fabrics. Next-generation materials refer to non-plastic, non-synthetic, and vegan, animal cruelty-free fabrics that serve as ethical and sustainable alternatives to conventional fabrics for use in fashion, household, and other products. For example, such fabrics include Pinatex from pineapple fibers and Man Made Cellulosic Fibers (MMCF) like Spinnova that make cellulosic textile fiber out of wood or waste, such as leather, textile, or food waste, without harmful chemicals.
3-Cloud and Blockchain-based Supply Management
Supply chain traceability in the textile industry is the fastest-growing advancement today. More and more consumers demand transparency on where and how their products are made. With cloud and blockchain technology, manufacturers can now manage their waste, battle carbon emissions, and lower energy consumption in real-time. Cloud and blockchain data can also facilitate collaboration between factories, allowing distributors and companies in the supply chain to have 24/7, real-time access to data and faster, effective communication between links from raw material providers to the end products fashion brands.