Innovative Solutions to Fast Fashion Challenges

When
June 10, 2020 12:00 pm — 1:30 pm
Where
Webinar Only

An ELI Webinar co-sponsored by the Plant Based Products Council (PBPC)

By the end of 2019, Americans sent more than 35 billion pounds of textiles to landfills. Yet, approximately, 95% of all used clothing is recyclable through re-use as apparel, conversion into cloth-based items, and redevelopment as fibers for new products. Meanwhile, a new €50m deal for a sustainability-linked loan is making waves as a first for the luxury goods industry, allowing interest rates to be lowered in exchange for going green. In an ever-changing world with a focus on corporate social responsibility, companies are increasingly seeking measures, innovation, and consensus that could lead to significant reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. There is a growing movement within the fashion industry to redesign the fashion economy, business models, and policies to promote sustainable solutions to clothing waste.

How can efficiency be altered to steer the fashion industry away from a fast fashion culture and toward a more invested and sustainable culture? What are the environmental impacts of fast fashion waste and what are companies doing to address these impacts? How can sustainability be further incorporated into supply chains? What are the guiding policies, economic models, and proactive measures being taken by corporations across the globe? Panelists engaged in these questions and more as they explored consumer trends, policy obstacles and opportunities, potential for circular economies, and best practices to manage supply chains including recycling and sustainability.

Panelists:
Caitlin F. McCarthy, Director, Education, Associates and Corporate Partnerships, Environmental Law Institute, Moderator
Jessica Bowman, Executive Director, Plant Based Products Council (PBPC)
Kaveri Marathe, Founder & CEO, Textiles & Sustainability Consultant, The World Bank
Dana Thomas, Author, Fashionopolis: The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes, Gods and Kings: The Rise and Fall of Alexander McQueen and John Galliano, & Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster & Contributor, The New York Times Style section
Jeff Trexler, Associate Director, Fashion Law Institute and Professor, Fashion Ethics, Sustainability, and Development, Fordham Law School

Materials:
ELI members will have subsequent access to any materials/a recording of this session (usually posted w/in 48 hours). If you are not an ELI member but would like to have access to archived sessions like this one, go HERE to see the many benefits of membership and how to join.

Supplemental Material:
Fast Fashion: Cutting Corners to Fuel Excessive Consumption
(ELI Vibrant Environment Blog, Jun. 26, 2019)