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 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, more than shipping and aviation combined. Moreover, only 4 per cent 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 standardised frameworks that set regulations in place. The jargon used varies from company to company, and without a standardised language, it becomes increasingly complex to implement must-haves versus good-to-haves – 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
