rethink sustainability
Green is fashionable: how can the textile industry reduce its environmental impact?
Article published on Le déCLIC® responsable in partnership with Le Figaro on 2 November 2023
One hundred billion items of clothing are sold worldwide every year. That’s 60% more than 15 years ago, according to the French Agency for Ecological Transition (ADEME). Clothing production could account for 26% of global greenhouse gas emissions by 20501. But will rising awareness of this issue within the fashion industry and among consumers help avert this serious increase?
Every stage in clothing production creates pollution; from sourcing raw materials and manufacturing finished items, right through to transportation. It’s time for the sector to step up its commitment to the circular economy by limiting its use of resources and generation of waste. Against this backdrop, the sustainable fashion market is flourishing; it is growing by 8% a year and its value is expected to rise from EUR 7.12 billion in 2022 to EUR 10.45 billion in 20272. “Demand exceeds supply, so ethical companies are not in competition with one another,” says Julien Houssiaux, co-founder of Mondin.
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The Bayonne-based start-up produces a plant-based leather alternative using a local raw material: the grape pomace, from vineyards in south-west France. “We have the best biomass there is, associated with the name and the reputation of the French vineyards we work with. It’s an entire universe.” Nisiar (“raisin” spelt backwards) is 73% bio-sourced (it also contains bio-polymers) and contains no animal-derived ingredients or harmful chemical products. Only five stages are required for its production, compared with 30 stages for traditional leather.
This pure product of green chemistry is economical in its use of water and has already won over a dozen premium watch-making and leather goods brands – and even some wine-growers, who commission accessories to offer their customers. Mondin is making watch straps, wallets and bottle holders for these brands. Other plant-based alternatives to leather are derived from mushrooms, pineapple, cork and fruit waste. The market was worth USD 647 million in 2021 and is expected to total USD 868 million by 20263.
Natural colouring of textiles
Up to 2,000 chemical products can be used in textile manufacturing, 165 of which are classified as harmful to health or the environment by the European Union. This is the case with dyes, which account for 20% of global water pollution, according to the World Bank. Heavy metals, chlorinated solvents, acids, phthalates, not to mention formaldehyde; these substances are not just harmful to the environment but also to those working in the industry, as they can disrupt their hormonal system and increase their risk of cancer. Fibres also need to be bleached before they can be dyed, and this often involves a bleaching agent that pollutes water as well as soil... and can end up on our plates.
Yet textiles can be coloured without harming the environment, as start-up Pili is showing. Its work takes natural pigments to a whole new level. “We are the first company worldwide to produce aromatic substances by fermentation,” says its Scientific Director, Guillaume Boissonnat-Wu. These pigments are derived from biomass – living plants such as cereals, beetroot and maize – that can be converted into materials. “This allows us to source our raw materials locally while using less energy and emitting fewer greenhouse gases. Thanks to fermentation, non-food biomass can be used as a raw material instead of petroleum- or coal-based derivatives,” explains Boissonnat-Wu. This change can halve CO2 emissions. Pili is close to producing its first tonne of natural pigment, and expects to market this in 2024.
Other initiatives, as original as they are ingenious, are flourishing in France and Europe. A cooperative has been established in the Lyon region with the aim of preventing waste; feat.coop puts companies in touch with luxury brands so that they can buy their unused fabrics and use them to make new clothes. Swedish brand Nudie Jeans, meanwhile, repairs customers’ jeans for free, as it believes each item it sells should be guaranteed for life.
Coming together to influence public policy
Despite all this progress, “regulatory changes are still the absolute priority when it comes to transforming the textile industry”, says Pili’s Scientific Director. “Technological innovation is only part of this effort. Our society needs regulation, both of the way in which textiles are produced and of the terms on which they are imported and exported.”
The European REACH regulation, which came into effect in 2007, governs the manufacture and use of chemical products in European industry. It lists more than 20,000 substances, but dangerous residues are still often found in imports from Asia – a fact regularly called out by non-governmental organisations. Greenpeace Germany analysed 47 items sold by Chinese ultra-fast fashion giant Shein in late 2022: seven of them included a higher level of chemical substances than is allowed in Europe.
Advocates of sustainable fashion are joining forces to form collectives and hold more influence over public policy. The association En Mode Climat, established in 2021, brings together 636 industry players (including brands and factories) who are campaigning for better regulation of the sector. They are calling for labels that would transparently display the environmental impact of every item of clothing, and which would translate into premiums or discounts applied to the retail price.
Guarantees to guide consumers
Consumers can already be guided by specific labels that guarantee respect for the environment, animals and people, or the zero or reasonable use of chemicals. These include STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX, Global Recycled Standard or GRS, certification by PETA – People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Fairtrade and B Corp™.
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Fashion lovers concerned about the environment can also go to platforms such as WeDressFair. This online distributor, established in 2017, offers only the most ethical products as part of its ambitious goal “to educate and inform consumers by offering them tips and advice”, explains its Artistic Director, Caroline Reichert. Clothing from over 150 names in the ready-to-wear segment is available on the website and in two stores, one in Paris and the other in Lyon. The managers follow a fairly strict code structured around social as well as environmental criteria. Working conditions and wages must comply with the principles of the International Labour Organization (decent pay, health and safety at work, no forced labour and no child labour, etc.).
Brands on the site must also commit to visit their workshops twice a year. The textiles sold must contain a minimum of 90% eco-responsible materials (natural, recycled or upcycled fibres) and the platform does not distribute clothing from China because of what it sees as a lack of clarity around manufacturing conditions in the country.
Read also: Ecoalf - the fashion-forward brand bringing recycled materials to the fore
Less is more
These initiatives should not conceal the rather more mixed reality when it comes to buying habits. European consumers buy between 9 kg and 15 kg of clothing each year, but only wear 30% of the items in their wardrobe. French people spend just a quarter of their clothing budget on responsible purchases, according to a study commissioned by the French Fashion Institute4. But the trend is moving in the right direction: 65% of people claim sustainability has become a key criteria for them when shopping for clothes, market research firm Ipsos says (2019 study for C&A). The industry has every reason to persevere with its push in this direction.
1 La mode sans dessus-dessous (ademe.fr)
2 Le marché de la seconde main en 2023 (fashionunited.fr)
3 Bio-based Leather Market Size Worth $868 Million by 2026| MarketsandMarkets™ | FinancialContent Business Page
4 institut FRANÇAIS de la MODE (defimode.org)
Important information
This document is issued by Bank Lombard Odier & Co Ltd or an entity of the Group (hereinafter “Lombard Odier”). It is not intended for distribution, publication, or use in any jurisdiction where such distribution, publication, or use would be unlawful, nor is it aimed at any person or entity to whom it would be unlawful to address such a document. This document was not prepared by the Financial Research Department of Lombard Odier.
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