H&M and Zara: Can fast fashion be eco-friendly?

Summary

The video discusses the environmental impact of fast fashion, highlighting issues like waste, pollution, and the misleading claims of eco-friendliness by major brands like Zara and H&M. It emphasizes that while these companies are making some efforts towards sustainability, the industry's overproduction and overconsumption remain significant problems. The video advocates for transparency, responsible shopping, and supporting smaller brands that focus on sustainable and seasonless fashion. Ultimately, it calls on consumers to consider the necessity of new clothes and their environmental impact.

Takeaways

• ♻️ Fast fashion generates massive waste, with an estimated 93 million tons of textiles going to landfill or being burned every year.
• 🌍 Producing clothes heavily pollutes water and releases significant amounts of CO2.
• 👗 Brands like Zara and H&M are producing twice as much clothing per year as they did in the early 2000s.
• 🧵 Recycled polyester uses up to 60% less energy than virgin polyester but can shed microplastic fibers with every wash.
• 💧 Cotton production is water-intensive, taking 20,000 liters to produce one kilogram of cotton, and uses around 11% of the world's pesticides.
• 👕 Terms like 'sustainable' and 'ecologically grown' are often vague and lack standard definitions, making them confusing for consumers.
• 🔍 Transparency in the supply chain is crucial for verifying sustainability claims. H&M is more transparent than Zara, according to Fashion Revolution's evaluation.
• ♻️ Less than 1% of used clothing is recycled into new clothing due to technological limitations and the complexity of garment materials.
• 🚫 Overconsumption and overproduction are significant problems in the fashion industry, not fully addressed by recycling or eco-friendly initiatives.
• 🛍️ Consumers have a powerful influence in pushing brands toward more sustainable practices by being mindful of their shopping habits and choices.

Q & A

What is the main issue with fast fashion as described in the script?

Fast fashion promotes buying newer, trendier clothes frequently, leading to significant waste. An estimated 93 million tons of textiles go to landfill or are burned every year, which equates to a garbage truckload of textiles going to landfill every second.

How does the production of clothes impact the environment?

Producing clothes pollutes water, releases CO2, and requires a lot of energy. The fast fashion model, which has doubled clothing production since the early 2000s, contributes significantly to environmental degradation.

What are the main materials used in clothing production at Zara and H&M?

The main materials are polyester, which accounts for around 52% of total fiber production, and cotton, which is around 24%. PET, a type of polyester, is the same plastic used in water bottles.

What are the environmental issues associated with polyester and cotton?

Polyester production uses a lot of energy and releases CO2, acids, and ammonia into the water supply. Polyester fabrics also shed microplastic fibers that pollute oceans and food. Cotton is a chemical and water-intensive crop, requiring 20,000 liters of water to produce one kilo of cotton and using 11% of the world’s pesticides.

What is the difference between organic and conventional cotton?

Organic cotton is better for farmers and the environment in the long term. It is less water-intensive and requires less irrigation. It uses natural fertilizers and pesticides and is certified for controlling chemical and water use.

How do Zara and H&M define 'sustainable cotton'?

H&M defines sustainable cotton as recycled or cotton that uses fewer pesticides and GMOs. Zara refers to it as ecologically grown cotton, which uses natural fertilizers and pesticides and is certified by the Organic Content Standard and the Global Organic Textile Standard.

What challenges exist in making clothing more sustainable?

Making an eco-friendly garment is complex due to the many different materials and manufacturing processes involved. Even if some parts are sustainable, others might not be, and recycling mixed-material garments is particularly challenging.

What happens to clothing that is donated to H&M and Zara for recycling?

Over half of the donated clothing is sold overseas, while the rest is turned into industrial material, burned, or sent to landfill. Less than 1% of the material in used clothing is recycled into new clothing due to technological limitations.

What is the issue with fast fashion's emphasis on recycling?

While recycling is promoted, the actual rate of clothing being recycled into new clothes is very low. The emphasis on recycling can mislead consumers into thinking that their clothing consumption is more sustainable than it is.

How can consumers influence the sustainability of the fashion industry?

Consumers can push brands to make changes by demanding more sustainable practices and transparency. They can also buy less, choose higher-quality, seasonless clothing, and support smaller brands that are transparent about their supply chains.

Outlines

00:00

🛍️ The Environmental Impact of Fast Fashion

Fast fashion leads to immense environmental damage, with 93 million tons of textiles ending up in landfills or being incinerated annually. Brands like Zara and H&M contribute significantly, producing massive amounts of clothing that pollute water and emit CO2. They claim to offer eco-friendly options and recycling programs, but skepticism remains due to the vague definitions of 'sustainable' and misleading labels. Despite efforts to use recycled materials, issues like microplastics and high water usage in cotton production persist.

05:04

♻️ Promises of Sustainable Practices by Fashion Giants

Zara and H&M have pledged to use sustainable materials by 2025 and 2030, respectively. Transparency in the supply chain is crucial, yet varies between the two brands. H&M provides specific factory information, while Zara offers less detailed data. Fashion Revolution's evaluation highlights H&M's higher transparency score compared to Zara. Understanding suppliers' practices is vital to hold brands accountable, though transparency alone does not equate to sustainability.

10:05

🌍 Challenges and Realities of Clothing Recycling

Recycling clothing is complex due to the variety of materials involved. Although H&M and Zara promote circular fashion, only a small percentage of donated clothes are actually recycled. The rest are sold overseas, repurposed, or discarded. The technology for effective recycling is limited, and even if fully implemented, it wouldn't solve the issue of overconsumption. The key problem remains the excessive production and purchase of clothing, eco-friendly or not.

🕰️ The Shift Towards Seasonless Fashion

The fashion industry has accelerated its pace, with new collections emerging every two weeks compared to the traditional two seasons per year. This leads to lower quality and more waste. A shift towards seasonless fashion, focusing on quality and longevity rather than trends, is gaining traction. Brands are now creating versatile, durable clothing that lasts beyond seasons, encouraging consumers to rethink their shopping habits and prioritize sustainability.

👗 How to Shop Sustainably

Consumers have the power to influence the fashion industry. While H&M and Zara's eco-collections offer better options, smaller brands often provide complete supply chain transparency. Opting for seasonless, high-quality clothing ensures longevity and reduces waste. By questioning the necessity of new purchases and choosing sustainable options, consumers can drive brands towards genuine environmental responsibility. The video encourages viewers to stay informed about environmental topics by subscribing to their channel.

Keywords

💡Fast Fashion

Fast fashion refers to the rapid production of inexpensive clothing by retailers to keep up with the latest trends. It is characterized by short production cycles and frequent release of new collections. The video highlights how fast fashion contributes to environmental pollution through excessive clothing production and waste.

💡Sustainable Fashion

Sustainable fashion aims to minimize the environmental and social impact of clothing production. It involves using eco-friendly materials and ethical manufacturing practices. The video discusses efforts by brands like Zara and H&M to promote sustainable fashion, although it questions the effectiveness and transparency of these initiatives.

💡Polyester

Polyester is a synthetic fiber widely used in clothing production, accounting for around 52% of total fiber production. It is derived from petroleum and has significant environmental impacts due to its energy-intensive production and microplastic pollution. The video contrasts virgin polyester with recycled polyester, noting the latter's lower energy consumption but highlighting its limitations.

💡Cotton

Cotton is a natural fiber that makes up about 24% of global fiber production. While it is biodegradable, cotton cultivation requires substantial water and pesticide use. The video examines the differences between conventional and organic cotton, emphasizing the benefits of organic cotton for the environment and farmers.

💡Recycled Polyester

Recycled polyester is made from textile scraps or plastic waste, reducing the need for virgin materials and cutting energy use by up to 60%. However, the video points out that inconsistencies in recycled fibers may require more dye and that polyester garments shed microplastics, contributing to ocean pollution.

💡Organic Cotton

Organic cotton is grown without synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, using less water and promoting soil health. The video features a representative from Fashion Revolution, who advocates for organic cotton's long-term environmental benefits compared to conventional cotton.

💡Transparency

Transparency in the fashion industry involves brands disclosing their supply chains and production practices. The video discusses the varying levels of transparency among major brands, with H&M being relatively more transparent than Zara. Transparency is crucial for verifying sustainability claims and holding brands accountable.

💡Circular Economy

A circular economy in fashion aims to keep products and materials in use for as long as possible through recycling, reusing, and refurbishing. The video critiques the effectiveness of H&M and Zara's circular initiatives, highlighting the low percentage of clothing actually recycled into new garments and the challenges of recycling mixed-material items.

💡Greenwashing

Greenwashing refers to the practice of making misleading claims about the environmental benefits of a product or company. The video suggests that some of Zara and H&M's sustainability claims may be examples of greenwashing, as terms like 'sustainable' and 'conscious' are often vague and hard to verify.

💡Overconsumption

Overconsumption in fashion refers to the excessive purchasing of clothing, driven by fast fashion trends and low prices. The video argues that the root problem is the sheer volume of clothing produced and consumed, regardless of its sustainability. Reducing consumption and focusing on quality, timeless pieces are presented as solutions.

Highlights

An estimated 93 million tons of clothes go to landfill or are burned every year, which is roughly about a garbage truckload of textiles every second.

Producing clothes pollutes our water and releases CO2.

The fast fashion model pioneered by Zara means that brands are churning out double the amount of clothing per year compared to the early 2000s.

Inditex, Zara’s parent company, and H&M Group have collections that claim to reduce the environmental impact of making clothes.

Main materials at Zara & H&M as well as worldwide are polyester (52% of total fiber production) and cotton (24%).

Recycled polyester uses up to 60% less energy than virgin material but can shed 700,000 microplastic fibers with every wash.

Cotton, while not shedding microplastics, is still a chemical and water-intensive crop, taking 20,000 liters of water to make one kilo of cotton.

Organic cotton is better for farmers and the environment, using less water and fewer pesticides.

H&M and Zara have both made commitments to sustainable materials, with H&M aiming for 100% sustainable materials by 2030 and Zara by 2025.

Less than 1% of the material in used clothing is recycled into new clothing due to technological limitations.

H&M and Zara invest in recycling research, but the amounts are only 0.5% and 0.02% of their profits, respectively.

The fashion industry's overproduction and overconsumption problem needs to be addressed, not just through recycling.

The fashion industry now produces clothing in as little as two weeks, leading to cheaper prices, lower quality, and more waste.

Some fashion brands are now going seasonless, focusing on quality and durability rather than fast-changing trends.

Consumers have real influence in the fashion industry and can push brands to make sustainable changes by being mindful of their purchasing habits.

Transcripts

We’re constantly bombarded with media that puts pressure on us to buy newer

and trendier clothes.

Just to throw them away when they’re no longer in style.

An estimated 93 million tons go to landfill or are burned every year.

“And that’s roughly about a garbage truckload of textiles, every second going to landfill.

Every second!”

Producing clothes also pollutes our water and churns out CO2.

The fast fashion model pioneered by Zara means that brands are churning out double

the amount of clothing per year

as they did in the early 2000s.

But companies say that’s about to change

because we can now buy eco-friendly fast fashion!

And also recycle our clothes when we don’t want them anymore!

But can we believe them?

Inditex, Zara’s parent company, and H&M Group are two of the biggest fashion retailers

in the world, and both have collections that claim to reduce the

environmental impact of making clothes.

Not only that, but the two fashion giants

say they are making their entire brands more sustainable.

Let’s take a look at these promises, starting with the materials.

Main materials at Zara & H&M as well as worldwide are polyester, which accounts

for around 52% of total fiber production, and cotton, which is around 24%.

PET is a different name for polyester

and is the same type of plastic that's found in water bottles.

Actually, 60% of PET production goes to

textiles, and only 30% to water bottles.

The material is produced from petroleum, and the process uses lots of energy and

releases CO2, as well as acids and ammonia into the water supply.

Recycled polyester uses up to 60% less energy than virgin material and can be

made from textile scraps or plastic trash.

But inconsistencies in the threads can make it require more dye,

and experts say that polyester fabrics can shed

700.000 microplastic fibers with every wash,

which end up in the ocean and also in our food.

Cotton doesn't have these problems, but is still a chemical and water intensive crop.

According to the World Wide Fund for Nature,

it takes 20.000 liters of water to make one kilo of cotton,

which is enough for one T-shirt and a pair of jeans.

Also, around 11% of the world’s pesticides are used on cotton fields.

So is organic cotton better?

Essentially there's a massive difference between organic cotton and cotton.

This is Suki, a representative of Fashion Revolution, which is an organization that

advocates worldwide for transparency and sustainability in the fashion industry.

“Organic cotton is, in the long term, much better for the farmer that grows it and

the environment and the soil that produces it, and it's less water intensive and

doesn't require as much irrigation as such.”

We requested an interview with H&M about

the sustainability of their products, but they declined.

Over email they said:

We are happy to say that by the end of this year

all cotton we use will come from sustainable sources.

Zara also responded only through email, saying:

In 2019, the Group [Inditex, Zara's parent company] used over

38,000 tonnes of sustainable cotton in its clothing

(up 105% from 2018).

But what does sustainable actually mean?

There’s no standard definition and it doesn’t equal organic.

H&M says that sustainable cotton can also mean recycled or cotton that uses less

pesticides and GMOs.

Zara portrays its cotton as sustainable but calls it ecologically grown

instead of organic.

It claims the cotton uses natural fertilizers and pesticides, and is

certified by the Organic Content Standard and the Global Organic Textile Standard.

Which say they control for chemical and water use in the whole production process.

Terms like ‘conscious’ and ‘ecologically grown’

are hard to fact-check,

as well as confusing for the consumer.

But according to the non-profit Textile Exchange, in 2016 H&M was the second largest

user of organic cotton in the world.

Zara was the fourth.

Let’s focus on synthetics.

In H&M's sustainable collection, the synthetic clothing has to be at least

50 percent recycled.

Zara doesn’t specify their percentage, and their labeling can be confusing.

This jacket says it’s 100% recycled polyamide, which makes it seem like

it’s completely recycled.

But the filling is polyester.

That’s a different material.

And this isn’t the only time this happens.

The percentage recycled statement often doesn’t refer to the whole garment, making

it look like the item is more recycled than it actually is.

On the subject of transparent labeling, the Join Life tags are also on the Zara website

and are stamped by the Forest Stewardship Council.

This would seem to imply the clothing is certified by this organization.

The stamp, however, is only referring to the tag, not to the whole clothing item.

Talk about misleading.

Zara has committed to sustainable cotton and polyester by 2025.

H&M says all of their materials will be sustainable by 2030, and for 2019 that

figure was already at 57%.

If they stick to these commitments it could mean big changes for the industry.

But material is only part of the story.

To find out if that cotton is actually organic or that polyester is actually recycled,

consumers need to be able to check the production process.

With an H&M Conscious T-shirt, you can find out in which specific factory it was made,

so it’s theoretically possible to check the factory’s sustainability.

Zara only lists how many suppliers it has in one city, but not their names and addresses.

They were both evaluated by Fashion Revolution, an organization advocating for

transparency and sustainability in fashion.

None of the 250 large brands scored over 80%, but for 2020 H&M was the highest

scoring brand, with 73%, so quite transparent.

Zara scored a 43%.

Not so much.

This is important because:

“Suppliers are one of the few stakeholders with a front row seat to brands’ inner workings.”

Kim has a background in human rights and was a garment factory manager in Cambodia.

“They uniquely have access to the information that consumers need to be able to cross check

brands’ actions against their words.”

So being able to research suppliers allows people

to hold brands accountable to their sustainability claims. But...

“Just because you're transparent, it does not mean you're sustainable.

It does not mean that at all.

And that's really, really important.”

Even for brands who know their whole supply chain, making an eco-friendly garment is hard.

“Let's pick up a denim. You can see the dyeing is done in a more environmentally responsible way,

but the cotton is not produced the same.”

Jessie has worked in different industries from product inspection to purchasing,

to product development, in both China and Cambodia.

“Or take another example.

The whole piece of the clothes is made out of waste, but not dyed in a responsible way.

So, they're green, but it's different degrees of green or different degrees of less bad.”

Because an item of clothing is made up of many different materials

all manufactured in different ways, it’s hard to make each piece less harmful to the environment.

This is also the reason why recycling clothing is much harder than H&M and Zara

would seem to claim.

H&M’s advertisements say that the company

is working towards a circular future for clothing.

According to the website, you can bring

your clothing to any store and it will be resold as second-hand clothing,

re-used as other textiles, or recycled.

Zara has a similar campaign.

It says it partners with different local organizations, which then take over what

happens to the clothing.

So what does happen?

They ARE re-sold, re-used, and recycled, but not in the proportions you might think.

Over half of donated clothing is sold overseas.

The rest is mostly turned into industrial material, burned, or goes to landfill.

Less than one percent of the material in

used clothing is recycled into new clothing.

A big reason is lack of technology.

Remember how many materials were in the jacket?

Well, they need to come out again to recycle it.

“Garments that are made from mono materials or can easily be taken apart

into pieces, can be recycled.”

Maxi started her career as a certified dressmaker over 10 years ago and has headed product development

for Hugo Boss and major online retailers.

“But think about your wardrobe, how many pieces would fulfill these requirements?”

So giving back clothing is better than throwing it away, but the chances of it

actually getting recycled are very low.

H&M and Zara are investing in recycling research, but we looked at their annual

reports and the amount is 0.5 percent and 0.02 percent of their profits, respectively.

They say returning clothes is circular, which isn’t really true. And even if it were:

“That's not the solution to our overconsumption.

Or our overproduction.”

The problem is that too much clothing is produced, and bought, whether the clothing is eco-friendly or not.

“Let's just say you're putting one person here who says, you know what, I don't give

a bleep about anything recycled or organic.

I will once a year buy a nice pair of pants

and I don't care about anything, and then there are these people who are saying,

yes, I'm really aware, I want to do that. I want to commit to the environment.

And the pair of jeans that I'm going to buy every four weeks will always be sustainable. So.

Still, this person is better.”

Buying clothing every four weeks is relatively new. Before the 90s designers made clothes

for two fashion seasons per year, and now fashion retailers put out clothes in as little as two weeks.

More clothes mean cheaper prices, lower quality, and more ending up in the landfill or burned.

But it’s not just big fast fashion brands, it’s the fashion industry in general and

our desire for constantly changing outfits that need to hit pause.

“We need to think about how we shop and what we're really calling for.

But there is a bold step in a number of notable fashion brands and fashion houses

now going seasonless and hats off to them. It's an important thing to do.”

The concept doesn’t mean sacrificing style – but instead making clothing to last rather

than be thrown away.

“So all in all, what we're trying to do is working with clothing that is not very seasonal, so to say.

It should be something that you can wear year after year, we want to focus on quality.”

Karishma is the founder of Ka-Sha, an Indian brand featured in magazines like Forbes and Vogue

for championing eco-friendly fashion.

"We try to make products that try to fit into different places depending on who's

wearing it and how it's worn. So we have a lot of different aspects to our clothing.”

So what do you do when you want to buy new clothes?

H&M and Zara say their eco-collections are better for the environment, and they actually are.

If you want to make sure the whole supply chain is sustainable, there are

many smaller brands that can account for every step of their production process.

And buying seasonless instead of trendy clothing means it won’t go out of fashion

and end up in the trash.

Because this is a rare industry where consumers actually have a real influence.

“When I look at the whole picture, I realize maybe only end consumer is the power

[that] can balance brands and can push them, give them pressure to make some changes.”

So, ask yourself not only who made your clothes and what they are made of,

but also, do I need these new clothes? And go from there instead.

And if you want to see more videos like this, we post about environmental topics every Friday.

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