Sustainable Decisions Throughout the Clothing Supply Chain
While sustainable fashion isn't a new concept, it's certainly experienced exponential growth in the past two decades. As it matured in the collective minds of consumers, the demand for sustainable clothing matured as a result.
This added further challenges to the clothing supply chain, which was already notoriously complex and difficult to manage.
That's not to say it wasn't worthwhile; it was a much-needed wake-up call to the industry, one that is repeatedly responsible for environmental damage on a truly global scale.
Consumer demand for sustainable clothing continues to grow, now rapidly approaching the point where garments are expected to be sustainably sourced. In other words, sustainable clothing will soon be table stakes as far as the consumer is concerned.
And now there are broader expectations of the apparel industry. Consumers are now seeking sustainable supply chains in addition to sustainable garments.
The Shift From Sustainable Garment to Sustainable Supply Chain
This doesn't mean the sustainable garment mission is accomplished. Adoption still has room to grow with brands and consumers.
But metaphorically, a tipping point of consumers just started reading the next chapter on sustainable fashion.
Graduating beyond the chapters on "Why Clothing Sustainability Matters", and "What Are Examples of Sustainable Fabrics?"
The logical progression being sustainable clothing isn't the result of a raw material turned fabric, rather, it's sustainable decisions made at every step of the widely acknowledged "complex" supply chain, that turn raw materials into consumer-facing articles of clothing.
And those who have started on the next chapter are actively pursuing brands that reduce emissions and increase eco-friendly practices along every step of a garment's journey - from raw materials to finished soft goods.
A handful of brands are ahead of the game, and a slightly larger number are in a transitional state. But, the majority of clothing companies aren't ready for this adjustment to their entire supply chain.
Through the lens of sustainability, this article examines a simplified version of the clothing supply chain. You'll find key decision points across three stages of the supply chain, with common eco-friendly solutions for reference.
1. Sourcing Eco-Materials
This stage starts with choosing natural raw materials, instead of synthetic ones. Natural fibers like cotton, linen, wool, hemp, and bamboo are all eco-friendly materials that consume far less energy and water to produce when compared to their synthetic counterparts.
Taking this one step further, sourcing organic fabrics includes the added benefit of less harmful chemicals used in the farming process.
What "Organic" Means: Organic Cotton Example
Comparing organic cotton to conventional cotton illustrates some of the key differences in terms of farming practices.
Organic cotton is grown using methods and materials that have a low impact on the environment, in stark contrast to conventional cotton.
Here are a few areas that stand out:
No synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers
Rotating crops to ensure the soil maintains its fertility, instead of using synthetic inputs
Typically grown without mass-production or industrial operations
Average yield of organic cotton is 50% smaller than conventional cotton
Growing organic cotton is more difficult, requiring more attention for a lower yield. Which is the key factor in organic cotton having a higher cost than conventional.
It's also more difficult to find eco-friendly materials at scale, which is one of the primary reasons why natural fibers only account for a small percentage of the market. In 2022, organic cotton made up less than 1% of the global cotton supply.
While cotton is just one of many raw materials available, the most sustainable version of any natural material will be its organic alternative.
Eco-Materials Sourced from Forests
In addition to farmland, forests are also a common source of raw materials for the fashion industry.
Trees are used to create cellulose fibers like rayon, viscose, modal, and lyocell. And although these fibers are regenerative (meaning they can regrow), the way they're sourced often includes harmful practices.
Sustainable Garment vs. Sustainable Sourcing
Using a regenerative source like a birch tree to create lyocell is great. But obtaining it through destructive means is a perfect example of how consumer understanding of sustainable clothing is progressing.
A decade ago the consumer understanding of sustainable clothing may have gone to the length of "lyocell comes from birch or eucalyptus." But now, consumers are beginning to question how the birch or eucalyptus trees are gathered and turned into pulp.
Sustainably managing a forest versus clear-cutting is part of sustainable fashion, and can be detrimental to forests if carried out improperly.
There are many certifications that exist to ensure fiber sources are being managed in an eco-friendly way, with the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC) being two of the most prominent.
Eco-Materials Without Virgin Origins
In the context of eco-friendly materials, "virgin" refers to any raw material that's never been used before - whether it be recycled, upcycled, or otherwise.
The use of virgin materials is often unnecessary, and it's one of the leading causes of pollution and deforestation.
Recycled clothing is a major force in combatting the need for new materials. Recycled clothing comes from two sources; pre-consumer and post-consumer.
Pre-Consumer Recycled Clothing
Recycled clothing classified as pre-consumer, is clothing waste generated during the manufacturing process. This could be in the form of fabric scraps, trimmings, or yarn that's left over from cutting and sewing garments.
Instead of being thrown away, this clothing waste can be resold to other companies for use in recycled products.
A few key benefits of pre-consumer recycled clothing:
Reduce pollution and landfill waste
Save on energy and resources needed to produce new materials
Help other companies save money by reducing their own manufacturing costs
Post-Consumer Recycled Clothing
Post-Consumer Recycled Clothing
Recycled clothing classified as post-consumer has already been worn by someone or is created from waste unrelated to apparel altogether - and is now being recycled into new clothing.
A wildly popular fabric in the post-consumer recycled category is polyester, aptly named recycled polyester. It's most commonly created from recycled plastic bottles.
Recycled polyester is an important fabric because virgin polyester is in nearly 60% of all garments today, and polyester is made from non-renewable energy and is not biodegradable.
Even though recycled polyester is created from recycled plastic bottles, the manufacturing process still requires quite a bit of energy and resources, but still far less than creating polyester anew.
Plus, the performance qualities of recycled polyester are indistinguishable from virgin polyester, so opting for Repreve, or any other recycled polyester reduces landfill waste while also lowering the demand for virgin polyester production.
The benefits of post-consumer recycled clothing:
Reuse materials that would otherwise end up in landfills or as litter
Reduce pollution and landfill waste
Save on energy and resources needed to produce new materials
Pre-Consumer and Post-Consumer Upcycled Clothing
Upcycled clothing is a combination of pre-consumer and post-consumer recycled materials - usually in the form of fabric scraps - that are turned into new garments or textile products.
This could be done by hand, like with patchwork denim jeans which is most common, or on a large scale with machinery like what's used to create recycled polyester.
The key benefits of upcycled clothing are similar to that of post-consumer recycled clothing.
2. Sustainable Manufacturing for Clothing
Here, something like organic cotton or any other eco-material is transformed into fabrics that garment manufacturers can you use to create the final product.
This is done by reducing raw materials into a fibrous form, spinning those fibers into yarn or thread, then weaving or knitting the outputs into fabrics.
There are two broad processes that we'll examine: spinning and dying.
Spinning Fibers in an Eco-Friendly Manner
Spinning fibers into yarn or thread is done with a machine called a spinning mill, and there are two types of spinning we'll look at: wet and dry.
Wet spinning is the most common type of spinning, used for natural fibers like cotton, wool, and silk. In this method, the fiber is dissolved in a chemical solution and then forced through small holes called spinnerets. The solution is then drawn off, leaving behind the fiber in thread form.
Dry spinning is used for man-made fibers like polyester, acrylic, and nylon. In this method, the fiber is forced through the spinnerets into a chamber where it's blown around by hot air until it forms a continuous thread.
The obvious energy demand for both methods has serious ecological consequences. Some factories are beginning to use renewable energy sources like solar and wind power to offset these impacts, but this is still not the norm.
Specific to wet spinning, water consumption and chemical waste can be hazardous to the environment.
Water demand for wet spinning can be quite high and have a significant impact on local water supplies.
Wastewater from the process has to go somewhere as well, and unfortunately, these chemicals can end up back in waterways without being treated first.
This water pollution can lead to eutrophication, or the over-fertilization of waterways which results in algal blooms, fish kills, and a decrease in oxygen levels that can be harmful to both aquatic life and humans.
And perhaps this goes without saying, if the chemicals are toxic, the consequences can be even direr.
To be sustainable, brands need to partner with a certified sustainable fabric manufacturer or a sustainable fabric supplier that is using renewable energy, minimizes water consumption, and discharges clean wastewater.
Eco-Friendly Dyes and Finishes
The textile industry is the second-largest polluter of clean water, after agriculture. A large part of this pollution comes from the dyes and finishes applied to the fabric.
At this stage in the process, the fiber has already been spun into thread, woven into a fabric, and is now ready to become its consumer-facing color.
Dyeing is the process of adding color to fabric, and it's usually done with synthetic dyes that are derived from petroleum. These dyes are not only harmful to the environment but also the workers exposed to them daily.
However, eco-friendly dyes for clothing do exist, and these are usually derived from natural sources like plants, veggies, and minerals.
Some common eco-friendly dyes include:
Indigo
Madder
Henna
Cochineal
Logwood
Woad
While these dyes are better for the environment, they do have their drawbacks. For example, they can be less colorfast than synthetic dyes, meaning that they may bleed or fade more easily.
They can also be more expensive and harder to find. But as consumer demand for sustainable clothing increases, so too will the availability of sustainable dyes and finishes.
Eco-Friendly Finishes for Clothing
In addition to using eco-friendly dyes, brands can also opt for finishes that are less harmful to the environment.
Some common examples of eco-friendly finishes include:
BSE-free resins
Chlorine-free bleaches
Formaldehyde-free fabric softeners
These finishes are less likely to pollute waterways and also tend to be better for the workers, just like eco-friendly dyes.
3. Environmentally Friendly Clothing Distribution
The distribution chain of finished products to the end destination is convoluted. Variables like business models, markets, the proximity of manufacturers, and the end customer (business or consumer) creates a wide range of distribution solutions.
While the challenge of the last mile leads the conversation, all clothing distribution deals with carbon emissions.
The apparel industry is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions. While production of a garment contributes significantly to environmental decline, moving garments also dramatically impacts the planet.
In other words, a significant portion of the pollution caused by the fashion industry is due to getting clothes from point A to point B.
Ocean, Train, Semi, Then Air
A lot of the time, it’s cheaper for brands to move their clothes by ocean. But depending on where the product is going or available time given the disruption to ports in recent years, it might have to go by land or air.
Time and cost aside, there is a clear pecking order as it relates to carbon emission in transportation.
Ranked least to greatest emissions, the following is a quick guide on opting for sustainable distribution.
Cargo Ship
Freight Train
Semi-Truck
Air Freight
Ocean freight has significantly lower carbon emissions than air freight - 47x lower to be exact.
Creating more sustainable distribution in apparel or any industry comes down to efficiency. Three facets dramatically reduce carbon waste to get a more sustainable outcome.
1. Creating Close Proximity
Shortening the distance between manufacturers - moving the fabric to dyers for instance - is one of the quickest ways to reduce emissions. Or better yet, finding a partner that houses both processes in one house. Additionally, reducing off-shore dependence and moving production closer to your market, retailers, or consumers, can also have a profound impact on lowering emissions. Keeping the full supply chain in one geography is ideal.
2. Clear and Conservative Timelines
When roadmaps are created, it's easy to make landing dates unrealistically tight for one reason or another. But if possible build them with cushion, it reduces the chance your order would need to be expedited via air, which creates far higher emissions. This requires your brand to place your order early - far in advance of the seasonal drop. In activewear, placing your order 12 months in advance is typical.
3. Last Mile Efficiencies
The last mile is the most expensive, but also the most important because of its cumulative effect on ground distribution. While your brand may have less control over managing emissions at this point, there are a couple of elements you can search for when choosing a partner. Are they using an efficient methodology that includes route optimization and real-time tracking? Is your partner working with other brands in your geography to consolidate shipments? What does their fleet look like related to fuel or alternative energy vehicles like electric?
Don't Forget the Packaging
Perhaps more suited for a green retail stage, but the packaging is too important to not include in more than one place, as its footprint on the planet is massive.
Packaging is present at every stage of the apparel supply chain, such as covering fabric in poly to send it to production. Or it manifests in the form of tissue paper, boxes, and bags at the point of sale.
It's everywhere. But the intent of adding it to this section, distribution, is to more specifically call out the poly mailer - the destructive non-renewable package that the apparel industry loves to use.
Because most soft goods can handle the conditions of shipping in a poly mailer, and because they are extremely affordable, this plastic product is the shipping package of choice for many brands.
But there are some great eco-friendly options for apparel brands, sourced from this brand manager's guide to eco-friendly packaging, here are a few alternatives to poly mailers:
1. Recycled Plastic Mailers
These mailers are typically made of recycled LDPE (low-density polyethylene), the same type of plastic used to make traditional poly mailers. This reduces the creation of virgin plastic and reuses plastic that avoided a landfill.
2. Compostable Mailers
Compostable mailers are made from renewable materials like corn, potato starch, or tapioca. They easily biodegrade in a commercial composting facility. These are great options for brands that are looking for an end-to-end solution for their packaging.
3. Recycled Paper Mailers
Recycled paper mailers, including kraft, are made from recycled paper and lined with a thin layer of plastic. They are durable and recyclable, but cannot be composted.
Your Clothing Brand Can Be More Sustainable
Across three of the most impactful stages of creating apparel, you've seen that it's entirely possible to be more sustainable. And this is just the beginning.
Sustainability in fashion is a spectrum, and every action your brand takes to be more sustainable matters. No matter where you are on that journey, every step counts.
Again, creating apparel is an intricate process. This article is accurate, it just scratches the surface and doesn't include every stage and every detail within a stage.
There are too many variables at play to manage all the details of each stage, not to mention it shifts by brand, goals, category, etc.