Femnet e.V.

This report investigates the behaviour of some of the biggest fashion brands and retailers regarding their use of synthetic fibres and transparency about doing so. We reached out to 46 brands with a questionnaire, finding that the majority of brands are dragging their feet on reducing their reliance on fossil fuel-based fibres, with some well-known brands landing in the red zone for heavy use of synthetics or lack of transparency. No brand was deemed to be a frontrunner on the issue of synthetics. We also conducted meticulous online research of over 4,000 products, seeking to establish what brands are doing on the ground. Our findings not only expose fashion brands’ heavy addiction to synthetics but also demonstrate rampant greenwashing across their voluntary commitments and products, with as much as 59% of green claims for the products we assessed being unsubstantiated or misleading. Whilte ultra-fast fashion brands Boohoo and Forever21 used synthetics in the vast majority of their clothes, 91% of green claims by H&M, ASOS and M&S were found to be unsubstantiated or misleading. H&M and Zalando were also found to have more or almost as much synthetics in their ‘sustainable’ collections as their main collection.

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The findings of this study can be used as evidence base to improve the knowledge of the effectiveness of recycling capabilities of textile waste. This study wants to substantiate the understanding of the existing technologies industrially applied or at research stage, which relate to all the different types of recycling (e.g. mechanical recycling, chemical monomer recycling, chemical polymer recycling, etc.). It also provides an analysis of the economic and environmental effectiveness of those recycling technologies and a roadmap of the textile recycling technologies under development in order to support their industrial uptake.

Finally, it also provides an analysis on relevant policy initiatives in order to tackle potential regulatory barriers and scale up textile waste recycling activities in the EU.

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Over the past few decades, the production and consumption of clothing has increased exponentially, leading to a dramatic increase in the negative environmental consequences produced by the fashion industry. Given the rising pace of global warming and the rising concern about the fashion industry’s contribution to the climate crisis and its exploitative social dimensions, decision makers, politicians and government officials have begun to promote sustainable fashion through public policy. This article reviews the main barriers facing a circular economy in general and the fashion industry in particular. It approximates nascent regulations emerging throughout the world in the field of sustainable fashion, applying circular economic principles to the fashion industry.

Four categories of policy proposals are likely: Command and Control Interventions, Educational Initiatives, Incentives and Certification, grading them according to criteria of effectiveness, sustainability, feasibility, equity and compliance. The ranking process was based on an elicitation of expert judgement among a panel with expertise in the areas of sustainable fashion from the business sector, academia and civil society. Findings suggest that while some policy options appear to meet all criteria successfully, when selecting an optimal strategy for promoting sustainable fashion, there are frequently trade-offs between different alternatives.

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The country profile provides basic information on the clothing industry and wage situation in Turkey. In terms of wages, average wages, minimum wages and subsistence wages are discussed. The country profile shows wage-related labour and human rights violations and formulates demands to remedy them. It summarizes the results of an on-site investigation and statements from interviews with workers and gives case studies.
The country profile is linked to the study ‘Abandoned: Women workers’ poverty wages in garment factories in Eastern Europe and Turkey’

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Volume 1:

This book deals with the important aspects of green fashion including Animal Welfare in Ethical Fashion, Sustainable Processing of Textiles, Sustainable design case studies, Wool Composting, Consumer behaviour in sustainable clothing market, industrial case studies related to green fashion, etc.

Volume 2:

This book details the crux of green fashion, addressing various environmental aspects and discussing the importance of sustainable fashion in the apparel industry. It addresses various important topics such as Relationship marketing in green fashion, Animal Ethics and Welfare in the Fashion and Lifestyle Industries, Green Flame retardants, etc.

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