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Fashion and Textiles |
Fashion and Textiles
Our clothes are getting cheaper,
they follow fashion more rapidly and we’re buying more and more of
them. At the same time, we hear more about poor working conditions in clothing
factories, the greenhouse effect is becoming more threatening and the UK is
facing a crisis in disposing of its waste.
What would happen if
we used different fibers, or different farming practices? What would be the
consequence of washing our clothes in a different way, or keeping our carpets
for longer? What would happen if more of our clothes were disposed of through
clothes banks?
In the UK we are already awash with
information on these questions – so why read this report? Firstly, the report
is intended to be neutral – it does not have an agenda, or seek to promote a
particular change or approach. Secondly, it attempts to take a very broad view
of the sector – encompassing the views of business, government and campaigners
and trying to reflect the widest definitions of ‘sustainability’. Thirdly, it
attempts to identify the potential for significant and lasting change by
looking at what might happen if a whole industrial sector were to experience a
change .
The report is intended to be
valuable to a wide range of interested groups. It is written for people in
business – who have to balance their personal ethics and the concerns of their
consumers with the need for their business to prosper. It is written for
consumers who have a limited budget but are concerned about the impact of their
shopping choices. It is written for campaigners and those in education,
government and the media – to try to provide as balanced evidence as possible
about the present and future impacts of the clothing and textiles sector.
