Creating a better system to encourage environmentally friendly product manufacturing is not unusual, and many organisations are doing their part to help make it happen. Circularity has been one of the most popular and reasonably successful themes in the Australian fashion industry. It’s no secret that the notion of a circular economy dates back to the 1960s, but the application of this concept is still relatively new.
Fashion goods like trousers and clothing have always followed a predictable path. In Australia, they are manufactured by a firm, sent to retailers, purchased by people, and then dumped in the garbage months later. The environmental damage caused by this careless method of disposal and the other environmental issues that arose as a result was staggering. This evolution is also due to the following factors:
- The newest fashion and lifestyle trends influence many Australians’ lives.
- In order to keep up with the competition, garments and clothing are being offered at cheap rates, but they aren’t as durable as they should be.
- Clothing is mass-produced at a rate that exceeds the amount used daily.
Many fashion companies have had to rethink their production cycle due to overproduction, cheap clothing, poor quality materials, and poor disposal methods. The term “Circularity” was coined by the country’s sustainability experts. As a result, many believe that the Australian government must take the required steps to help the nation transition to a circular economy at every level.
The Next Big Thing in Sustainable Fashion
Instead of using a linear model for production and disposal, fashion companies in the nation are attempting to adopt a circular strategy. The industry must handle the following challenges when it comes to this strategy:
- Sustainability should be considered while designing clothing and other products. The whole process should be redesigned to eliminate the previous linear approach. When it comes to the production process, this involves utilising virgin raw materials, removing the usage of mixes, using just single fibres, and making sure that all the trimmings and any hardware present can be readily removed. There are additional considerations companies should keep in mind, such as ensuring that the chemicals or other materials used in manufacturing processes are safe for both human health and the environment.
- Using items that exist in nature and can be renewed without putting a strain on the environment is what manufacturers should aim for when creating their products. Examples include using organic cotton or food waste for manufacturing fibres.
- Companies need to produce more durable items that can be reused or recycled if they are thrown away. Even after recycling or upcycling, these items need to retain their value. Recyclability is considered to be good if these completed items can be turned into raw resources.
- Finally, these goods must be disposed of in a manner that does not pollute or damage the ecosystem around them as they deteriorate or return to nature.
Embracing and implementing Circularity will help guarantee that the natural resources that allow people to manufacture these things continue aren’t overtaxed in the future. Australia’s government and the fashion industry need to start designing items with the environment in mind, not only the country’s residents and tourists. This is just one of the ways to reduce the carbon footprint and be environmentally sustainable.
