Sustainable Practice in Fashion Retail

Abstract

This chapter emphasizes the urgent need for the global fashion industry to embrace sustainability due to its significant environmental impact. Highlighting issues like overconsumption, waste, and resource depletion, it critiques the “take, make, dispose” model and advocates for circular fashion, promoting reuse, repair, and recycling to extend clothing lifespans. Ethical sourcing, innovative biodegradable materials like Piñatex, and green operations in retail are explored as pivotal shifts. Local shopping models, sustainable manufacturing, and consumer demand for eco-friendly products are addressed, with tools like carbon footprint calculators and eco-labels aiding responsible consumption. Technological innovations such as AI, blockchain, and AR are presented as transformative, minimizing waste, enhancing transparency, and reducing overproduction. Challenges like high costs, fast fashion preferences, and limited recycling methods are discussed alongside solutions like strategic collaborations and R&D investments.