Sustainable Fashion mentions all the products and accessories used in daily life, their development process, having less environmental effect, and social equality during their whole lifecycle.

Sustainable fashion is the collection of all the ingredients such as production methods, production raw materials, environmental effects, supply, and discarding methods.

Clothes or any accessory can be called sustainable fashion clothes or sustainable fashion accessories when they are environmentally, socially, and economically suitable for every age.

Here’s the chemical perception of sustainable clothes or products in the market;

Environment-friendly Raw Material

 

 

The materials used during the manufacturing process should be eco-friendly. Materials have fewer side effects or without any toxic harm to the environment. In the case of sustainable clothing, the raw materials such as fibers should be organic and produced without any toxic chemicals.

Zero Toxic dyes/Chemicals

 

 

The dyes or chemicals used during the procedures of textiles and other products should be non-toxic to the environment or living individuals. They should be biodegradable in their nature and easily consumable by the environment.

Minimum Water and Energy Usage

 

Industries should adopt the procedures of manufacturing that must consume a lesser amount of water and energy. There are a lot of energy-efficient techniques, water reuse methods, and recycling procedures, water cleaning techniques, and process optimizers in the market.

Product Lifecycle Analysis

 

In the chemistry of Sustainable Fashion, all the factors are included from raw materials to manufacturing, manufacturing to transport, transportation to usage, usage to disposal. So, it’s necessary to do lifetime product analysis to maintain the environment free from harmfulness.

 

How are the Sustainable Fashion and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related?

 

According to a 2022 survey, fashion industries with USA brands have a huge worth of $369.39 billion. All the fashion industries use a lot of water, energy, and electricity in their manufacturing processes and the wastes or by-products are directly discharged into the environment, causing massive amounts of pollution.

About 73% of the used clothes are thrown away as trash and making landfills.

According to the UN report, a single pair of jeans in manufacturing requires 2,000 gallons of water, and the waste of the products is disposed into the environment.

In 2015, the United Nations developed 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to maintain the agenda of a free-toxic environment till 2030.

In the case of Sustainable Fashion, there are a few Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that are in need to be discussed;

 

(SDG 5) Equality of Genders

The main mission of SDG 5 is to achieve gender equality and empower them.

• Employment opportunities

Fashion industries should ensure equal employment opportunities for both females and males. There should be equality in all the roles such as manufacturing, designing, management, and even in the higher authorities

• Equal Empowerment

Sustainable fashion should empower women also with the man’s. Industries should take the initiative to empower women and support them in education, new skills, leadership, and entrepreneurship.

(SDG 7) Affordable and Clean Energy

The aim of SDG 7 is to confirm access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and clean energy.

• Energy Efficiency

Sustainable Fashion Industries should practice energy efficiency in each step of manufacturing processes and transportation processes.

• Renewable Energy Source

Fashion Brands should themselves in renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, water, and other electric power plants to complete all the energy necessities.

 

(SDG 8) Decent Work and Economic Growth

SDG 8 encourages decent, sustainable, and economic growth full of employment opportunities in least-developed countries.

 

• Work Opportunities and Growth of the Economy

Sustainable Fashion Brands should support SDG 8 to increase economic growth and employment opportunities by giving work in their textile manufacturing.

 

• Labor Rights and Good Work

Fashion Industries in any region should support their workers working as a labor in their production departments, by giving them fair rights and a good working environment.

 

• New Skills Learning and Training

Sustainable Fashion Brands should launch new courses in each part of their field either in manufacturing or management to increase the skill development of their workers. Provide them with training opportunities in their skills.

 

(SDG 12) Responsible Production and Consumption

The main aim of SDG 12 is to promote responsible production and sustainable consumption.

• Responsible consumption

SDG 12 encourages consumers regarding the fashion industry. A responsible consumer should do sustainable consumption in their practice of fashion purchases and support a valid sustainable brand.

• Waste Reduction and Recycling

To overcome textile waste, SDG 12 encourages consumers to recycle and reuse their products resulting in maintaining the environment free from toxicity.

• Product Lifecycle Analysis

Sustainable Fashion Brands according to SDG 12, should do a complete assessment of the product lifecycle from production to disposal to maintain environmental safety.

 

(SDG 15) Protect, Restore, and Promote the Sustainable Use of Terrestrial Ecosystems

Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 15 ensures to protect, restore, and promote the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems and maintains the sustainability of forests.

• Maintain Forestation

The fashion industry is also one that plays a crucial role in deforestation. Sustainable Fashion brands should continue the use of alternative materials. The alternative materials existing are organic cotton and other recycled fiber.

 

• Reducing Degradation of Land

There are many reasons for land degradation, but fashion industry production methods and disposals also play their roles in the degradation of land. Sustainable Fashion Industries should adopt different sustainable procedures to reduce degradation.

 

• Protection of Biodiversity

Sustainable Fashion Brands should adopt such goals to reduce the loss of biodiversity by controlling their toxic disposal in the living environment.