Written Evidence in Response to Fixing Fashion: Follow Up Inquiry
Professor Deirdre Shaw and Dr Kat Duffy, University of Glasgow
Introduction
Responses to the Fixing Fashion Follow Up Inquiry’s Specific Questions
Q1: What progress has been made in reducing the environmental and social impact of the fashion industry since the Fixing Fashion report came out?
According to our research findings consumers are more aware of public discourse relating to the environmental and social impact of fashion in the time since the Fixing Fashion report came out. What remains a challenge, from the past 20 years working in this area, as well as in our current research, is that consumers are seeking support and want to have clearly identified pathways to positive actions that they can take. We witnessed raised awareness supported by our research interventions, both the Save Your Wardrobe application and mindfulness tools. Once aware of the environmental and social impact of the fashion industry and the role of their consumption behaviour in that, we found consumers uncertain as to what positive action to take and frustrated by the lack of clearly identified paths to action. This was coupled with the challenge of reconfiguring habitual behaviours, a normalised consumption culture, pushy brands and retailers and the visual bombardment on social media of new styles, hauls and offerings. Thus, while we found consumers describing becoming more “conscious” and seeking to take steps to reconsider their approach to clothing along more sustainable lines, the environment around them continued to promote the very consumption they were trying to change. Such challenges can felt overwhelming, making support in moving to more sustainable consumption behaviours vital.
Innovative startups, including Save Your Wardrobe, have come into this space to seek to address the environmental and social impacts of the fashion industry and, in some instances, support consumer citizen action. In our research examining users of a digital disruption application, we found that this served as a tool to reflect upon, encourage and facilitate new behaviours that are more sustainable. Engagement with the app raised awareness, supported behavioural change and lead consumers to develop behavioural strategies to sustain those changes. The tool offered insight into clothing already owned, how it can be used more effectively and encouraged shopping from the users existing wardrobe. Access to an eco-system of services encouraged repair and care of clothing and offered opportunities to purchase second-hand.
Sustainability in relation to clothing was described as a “journey” or “a work in progress”, with different people at different stages. In the absence of clear guidance as to the most effective courses of action, consumers lacked clarity as to how to consistently “incorporate” or “implement” sustainability into their everyday lives. As a result, consumers developed their own approaches to sustainability, being aware that these were imperfect.
Recent decades have been dominated by discussions of a gap between attitudes and behaviours in relation to sustainability (e.g., Shaw, McMaster and Newholm, 2016). Increased sales of fast fashion brands, such as Boohoo, despite negative publicity, appear to support the view that consumers do not care about the impact of their clothing consumption (Jones, 2019; Shaw, McMaster, Longo and Özçaglar-Toulouse, 2017). Changing entrenched patterns of behaviour can be challenging. Our research highlights the importance of tools that disrupt habits, and facilitate and support new actions important in changing clothing behaviours.
Q2: What impact has the pandemic had on fashion waste?
Our research revealed that the disruption caused by Covid-19 offered consumers the opportunity to transform their relationship with clothing and consumption, by creating the time and space to rethink relationships with clothing and fashion. Consumers described becoming more “conscious” and sought to take steps to reconsider their approach to clothing along more sustainable lines. While paradoxically wearing significantly less of the items in their wardrobes, the imposed stop resulted in time to organise, imagine and become more emotionally and mentally engaged with their clothing. Stopping also resulted in more conscious reflection of the impact of clothing consumption, their actual clothing needs and a desire to sustain the change. Thus, despite reports of high fast fashion sales during lockdown (e.g., Bootle, 2020), consumers in our research, rather than buying more, engaged more meaningfully with what they already owned. Where clothing was identified as not worn, rather than seeking to dispose of the garment(s), we found consumers questioning their relationship with the item, considering how they could increase item longevity and concern about passing the responsibility for the garment on to others via disposal where they were unsure what would happen to it and the resulting impact.
Q3: What impact has the pandemic had on the relationship between fashion retailers and suppliers?
Our research revealed that consumers were aware of the impact of the pandemic on garment workers where brands had not honoured orders. We witnessed consumers viewing mainstream brands with skepticism and distrust, with a desire to move away from these retailers. We found a desire to build a “sustainable wardrobe” but challenging, however, was how to translate this desire for sustainability into a purchase for a new item. Much greater consideration was given to buying new than for second-hand, where with limited exception, value was seen in extending the life of a garment. Brand sustainability claims were treated with skepticism, with a call for total transparency, supported by clear messaging and independent evidence. This applied to both well-known high street brands and lesser known brands claiming to be sustainable. The only exception was brands for which sustainability was part of their DNA. This included, Stella McCartney and Patagonia. Beyond these well-known brands there was a keen desire for more genuinely sustainable brands that challenge traditional business models and offer connections with customers. Here, favoured was shorter supplier chains and a closer connection between maker, retailer and consumer.
Q7: How can any stimulus after the Coronavirus crisis be used to promote a more sustainable fashion industry?
Our research revealed an appetite among consumers for small, localised brands that build open relationships with their customers and can support consumer demands for core, functional, durable garments. We found consumers are seeking authenticity in approaches to sustainability in the fashion industry. Given the volume of clothing already in circulation and the impact of producing a new garment, consumers considered that sustainability should not be an add on, but part of a whole systems approach. Without this consumers are skeptical of offerings and claims. We observed consumers seeking to balance modifying consumption along more sustainable lines with the need to reduce overall levels of consumption (Shaw and Newholm, 2002). As a result we found consumers seeking services to support care, maintenance and repair of their clothing and a desire for education and upskilling opportunities so they could learn some of these skills. This was sought in their geographical area. Thus, there is an opportunity to support green recovery through support of local clothing repair, maintenance, education and upskilling services located within local communities, supporting local economies. Overall, identified was the need for an improved infrastructure to support sustainable choices.
Q8: Is the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan adequate to address the environmental impact of the UK fashion industry? How ambitious should its targets be in its next phase?
In our research consumers described becoming increasingly aware of the human and environmental impacts of clothing production, consumption and disposal and shared the “uncomfortable” realisation “that I am part of the problem”. In an emergency change that was considered impossible becomes possible, with the opportunity to create new and lasting habits, to embed transformative behaviours. Thus, we have an opportunity not to return to business as usual. Rather, our research reveals that once consumer awareness is mobilised, consumers need support to move to more sustainable approaches to consumption. Currently, from a consumer perspective there are many structural barriers to positive action. We have an opportunity to reduce barriers to action and make sustainable choices easier to make and the default, as opposed to an alternative choice that requires effort to seek out.
Q9: What actions could Government take to improve the collection of fashion waste?
Our research reveals that as consumers become more conscious of their clothing choices and build a deeper connection with the clothing they own, they seek to be more mindful in how they dispose of items. We found consumers seeking to consider the life of a garment from “cradle to cradle”. In considering the impacts of their clothing, consumers were uncertain as to how to dispose of garments at end of life and were concerned about what happens to these garments once they do dispose of them. Demanded was clearer guidance for consumers in terms of disposal; what garments, in what condition, where. Given the role of waste to feed a circular system consumers need to know how to satisfy that demand effectively. Donation to charity was blighted with concerns about clothing sent to second hand markets in the global south and the resulting negative impacts on both planet and people. Thus, we found consumers keeping garments due to a feeling of responsibility for them and where they end up. By retaining garments and keeping them in limbo their impact was viewed as neutral. Such garments, however, could be positively mobilised in a circular system with improved communication and collection of garments for disposal.
Q10: What actions could the Government take to incentivise the use of recycled or reused fibres and materials in the UK fashion industry?
Our research revealed that while seeking a closed loop is important, first priority should be to reduce overall levels of consumption and seek to increase garment longevity in use. We found that once consumers questioned the cycle of consumption they were engaged in, they sought to engage with the clothing they already had in a more meaningful way, rediscovering and reconnecting with garments. They sought to be creative in utilising more effectively what they already owned, only buying when there was a need and the items would facilitate more effective use of their wardrobe overall.
Q11: How could an Extended Producer Responsibility scheme for textiles be designed to incentive improvements in the sustainability of garments on sale in the UK?
From our research with consumers, extended producer responsibility could address the demand for support in managing garment end of life. Further, we found consumers willing to pay more for garments that they regarded as “investment pieces” as they sought to “buy smarter”, seeking improved quality, sustainability and longevity of clothing. Such garments have the potential to remain in circulation for longer, thus, reducing waste. Our research revealed that a transparent system of shared responsibly can increase consumer trust and willingness to support a brand.
Concluding Comments
References
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Bootle, E. (2020). Why even the pandemic couldn’t kill fast fashion, New Statesman, Available at: https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2020/10/why-even-pandemic-couldn-t-kill-fast-fashion
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Jones, K. (2019). Boohoo's sales growth says heaps about our environmental priorities – but avoiding fast fashion is easier than you think, Independent. Available at: https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/boohoo-sales-fast-fashion-environment-recycling-charity-shops-a8730416.html
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