Kirsten Long

A decade ago, when people started using the term eco-fashion, a lot of us thought it was just another trend, but sustainable fashion practices appear to be growing and more industry experts are predicting environment-friendly fashion manufacturing is here to stay.

Energy News released a statement discussing the recent collaboration between ASOS, an online fashion retailer, and the London College of Fashion’s centre for Sustainable Fashion. They have teamed-up to find ways to help designers become eco-friendly and reduce clothing waste. The pilot program aims to encourage clothing makers to design products in a circular way, focusing on the manufacturing, use, and disposal components.

Members of the ASOS design team will be participating in workshops and discussion groups that concentrate on key concepts, case studies and practicable applications of circular design. By gaining these skills and knowledge they will be able to fully implement the circular design approach.

ASOS efforts may be relatively new but a number of brands have been experimenting with eco-fashion for some time now.

A start-up out of Silicon Valley, called Allbirds, known for introducing “the world’s most comfortable shoes” has shifted to become a sustainable footwear sensation. Laces made from recycled bottles, insoles comprised of castor bean oil, and shoe uppers made of tree fiber makes their shoes eco-friendly. To top it off, the Allbird’s packaging is created from recycled cardboard.

Not only are companies like Allbird taking action but also big names like Adidas, The North Face and H&M are making environmentally friendly changes. Adidas introduced its first high-performance shoe made from Parley Ocean plastics. Parlay Oceans Plastics is a place where creative minds come together to collaborate on projects that can protect our fragile oceans from destruction. The North Face has also unveiled a green pilot project. It involves a collection of returned, defective, or damaged clothes that are refurbished. H&M released their 2017 Sustainability Report showing consumers that 35 percent of all materials used by the company are sustainably sourced. Stella McCartney built the first vegetarian luxury fashion brand that is based on a “world of sustainability” platform. Patagonia, Eileen Fisher, and Reformation are other brands that have initiated sustainable credentials.

Implementing and creating a sustainable, ecofriendly fashion outlook has become essential in the industry and so many others are following this trend. We have seen the beer and transportation industry make shifts towards producing greener products, so it makes sense that the fashion industry is also taking the right steps towards creating a healthier planet.