SDG 9 From the ashes of fast fashion, arises the phoenix of the ‘Wellbeing Wardrobe’

Project summary

Over the past 15 years, global clothing production has doubled while the length of time clothing items are actually worn has fallen by almost 40%. Fast fashion has emerged as a mode of production, a marketing phenomenon, and type of consumer behaviour. The resources consumed, and wastes produced, increase exponentially. Clearly, this must stop. Consuming and polluting at the current rate undermines our ability to care for people and planet. While efforts of the fashion industry to become more sustainable are laudable, with initiatives such as recycling and the development of new fibres and textiles, this has been swamped by the sheer scale of consumption and growth in the sector. 

A study and report by researchers at the Institute for Sustainable Futures suggest we need a new mindset – both within the industry itself and among consumers. Their research suggests that to be sustainable, we need to make two fundamental shifts: 

1. buy 75% less new clothes 

2. wear clothes till the end of their life

The fact that these two objectives may sound radical today yet would be common sense to our grandparent’s generation demonstrates just how rapidly behaviours have changed and conspicuous consumption has been normalised. The study suggests these necessary changes are achievable by moving to a system designed around wellbeing rather than growth. Focusing on garments’ quality over quantity, favouring classic styles over fleeting trends, and renewed attention on repairing and caring for clothes to maximise their lifespan. In the process, long-lost skills such as sewing, mending and up-cycling can be cultivated. 

The Wellbeing Wardrobe the researchers advocate would mean shifting away from the existing aggressive-growth business model of the fashion industry, to one that embraces systems of exchange and collaborative consumption – transitioning to a post-growth model. 

This change will not be easy. It will require reimagining the roles and responsibilities of both consumers and the fashion industry to create a lasting future able to flourish for the long term.

See more information here.

Project timeframe

2021 - 2022

SDG targets addressed by this project

Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure:

9.4 - By 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes, with all countries taking action in accordance with their respective capabilities.

Responsible Consumption and Production 

12.6 - Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle.

Back to SDG 9 Industry, innovation and infrastructure