When talking about polluting industries we often mention fossil fuels or the transportation sector. However, fashion remains to this day one of the most polluting industries in the world. According to an article published by the Geneva Environmental Network, this sector alone is responsible for 10% of all global carbon emissions, a percentage equal to all international flights and maritime shipping combined (Geneva Environmental Network, 2024). This is why sustainability is now so important for this industry. But what is ‘sustainable fashion’?
What is sustainability in fashion?
Sustainability in fashion refers to the need to move towards greener practices by implementing radical changes. Apart from the huge CO2 emission caused by this industry, the fashion sector is also responsible for high water consumption, using a total of 93 billion cubic meters of water every year. To put this in perspective, this amount would be able to meet the needs of five million people.
What’s worse is that, according to an article by the Geneva Environmental Network, most of the clothes being manufactured at the moment quickly end up in the bin, with 85% of all textiles being thrown away every year. Most of these clothes are never recycled properly. This means that the microplastic present in them ends up in our oceans.
There is no way around it. The fashion industry negatively impacts our environment in so many ways. This is why plenty of brands all over the world are now focusing on eco-friendly practices to limit their damage. But what makes a brand truly eco-friendly?
What makes a fashion brand sustainable?
There are plenty of ways in which brands can reduce their negative impact on our environment. For instance, investing in the circular economy, embracing slow fashion, and opting for sustainable materials. Let’s analyze each one of these in more detail.
What is slow fashion?
Most of us were taught to head to the mall at each change of season to renew our wardrobe. This practice unfortunately is detrimental to our environment. According to an article published by Bloomberg, a study from the UK found that 1 in 3 participants consider a piece of clothes old after one or two years. This way of thinking is harmful as it pushes us to keep purchasing new products, consuming more resources, and emitting more CO2 while increasing our waste.
The slow fashion movement is now contrasting this trend. While fast fashion focuses on the constant need to purchase new items, brands embracing slow fashion tend to focus on quality over quantity, creating unique pieces that last through time.
The circular economy
Sustainable brands also tend to invest in the so-called circular economy. This term refers to strategies put in place to reduce waste both during manufacturing processes and in terms of resources, such as energy and water consumption.
In circular fashion, clothes are designed to last for longer and are easily repairable. Some companies may decide to work with closed-looped systems in which materials scraps are cycled back into the production line to avoid waste. The same can be done with water waste. Other companies may offer free or affordable life repairs so that the client will be more likely to avoid buying a new piece of clothing and instead fix the one he already owns.
What are sustainable materials?
Another important choice fashion brands face when manufacturing sustainable clothes is which textile to use for their designs. While some fabrics are incredibly polluting, others tend to be way more eco-friendly.
According to an article by the Independent, cotton is among the worst materials when it comes to its environmental impact as it requires plenty of water to grow. We currently need between 10,000 to 20,000 gallons of water to produce a pair of jeans and up to 3,000 for a simple t-shirt. Other highly polluting materials include synthetics and non-biodegradable fabrics such as polyester, acrylic, and nylon. While these are not as water-demanding as cotton, they are not biodegradable and heavily rely on the petrochemical industry for their production processes.
So what about sustainable materials? Luckily, there are plenty of options out there for brands to choose from when manufacturing high-quality garments. Among these, an article by BBC Earth mentions linen, organic or recycled cotton, and lyocell. These fabrics require less water in their production processes compared to other popular materials, don’t need toxic pesticides and fertilizers, and are fully biodegradable. But what about textiles, such as silk?
Is silk an eco-friendly material?
This natural protein fiber dates back to the Neolithic period and is fabricated by certain insect larvae when forming cocoons. Silk production constitutes only 0.2% of the global fiber market but, despite this, this material remains incredibly popular thanks to its texture and luster. But is silk sustainable?
Silk is somehow in between when it comes to sustainability. On the one hand, its fully biodegradable nature as well as the lack of pesticides in its production processes make silk a great environmental ally. On the other hand, however, this material is associated with high levels of energy and water consumption.
A natural fiber
On the positive side, silk is a natural fabric and is therefore fully biodegradable. This means that, unlike other materials, silk does not shed microplastic in the environment while being washed, one of the most common environmental problems when it comes to synthetic fabrics.
Toxic fertilizers and pesticides
Another benefit of silk production is that, unlike other materials such as cotton, it requires way fewer toxic pesticides and fertilizers. While some manufacturers may still choose to use some of these harmful products, traditionally mulberry trees, needed to feed the silkworms used to manufacture silk, don’t need these for their growth.
Water consumption
Unfortunately, when it comes to water consumption, silk does not perform too well. This material is among the ‘thirstiest’ in the world. According to an article by Fashion United, roughly 850-1000 tons of water are used for the production of one ton of raw silk. This is because silk production relies on mulberry trees which require plenty of water to grow. Despite this, this textile still consumes less water than other popular fabrics, such as cotton.
Energy consumption
Silk has also been linked to high energy consumption. This is due to several factors. For instance, silk farms need to be kept at certain temperatures, and harvesting the cocoons requires both hot water and hot water, resulting in higher energy needs.
Moving towards more sustainable silk production
Ceci New York x By Biehle Fiorella Silk Scarf Organic Silk Twill 90x90cm
So how can we get rid of the negative impact of silk and make the most out of the benefits that this textile has for our environment? GOTS-certified silk is one of the solutions. This material is produced without the use of harmful chemicals, such as toxic pesticides and fertilizers. On top of this, this fabric is more ethical as it allows silkworms to fully develop and continue their life after leaving the cocoon behind.
Plenty of brands are now also opting for recycled silk, namely old silk fabrics that have been reused for the creation of new textiles. Lastly, wild silk refers to silk made from the cocoons of Tussar silkworms found in open forests. This allows for fewer chemicals to be used on the production processes while also making this type of silk more ethical, as cocoons are often harvested after the moths have left.
Our commitment to ethical and sustainable silk production
Our mission at By Biehle is to create unique products able to last through time to limit our waste as much as possible. We are fully aware of the environmental impact that silk production has on our planet and for this reason, we decided to opt for sustainable practices to limit our CO2 emissions.
GOTS-Certified
Our clients can now choose our Organic Silk Twill 14mm for their designs. This type of silk is GOTS-certified meaning that it is manufactured sustainably from start to finish.
Fair labor practices
Unfortunately, silk production is often linked to unethical labor practices such as worker exploitation and child labor. This is not our case! We decided to base our entire production in the so-called Silk City, Como. This lovely town in northern Italy is among the most renowned silk manufacturing centers in the world and employees here work under the strict laws set up by the EU. Apart from these talented artisans, we also work in close collaboration with amazing artists such as Ceci New York in the creation of unique hand-painted designs to wear in your daily life.
Focus on recycling
Lastly, we invest in recycling practices to limit our waste. For instance, we are now using recyclable plastic for the protective sleeves in which our scarves are placed and also opt for recycled materials in the creation of our packaging and stationery cards.
As our brand continues to grow, so does our effort to prioritize sustainable practices in the hope that the fashion industry will one day be an environmental ally rather than an enemy.
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