From Fashion Forward to Sustainability First

The fashion industry must adopt a sustainability-first approach, given its significant environmental footprint. Fashion accounts for 10% of global carbon dioxide emissions and one-fifth of annual plastic production. Ambeshwar Nath, EVP of Consumer Goods, Retail, and Logistics at Infosys, explores a suite of advanced technologies to address the shifting preferences of responsible consumers in an article published by Journal du Net.

Decarbonize operations

Fashion enterprises should audit their carbon footprint and then reduce or offset their carbon emissions. Apparel brands need to use sustainable materials, optimize their supply chains, and transition to renewable sources of energy.

Adopt a circular approach

The fashion industry and luxury fashion customers are pivoting to second-hand marketplaces and online platforms to resell apparel. It extends the lifecycle of clothing when traditional textile production consumes a significant amount of water, energy and raw materials, while less than 1% of textile materials get recycled.

The New Plastics Economy initiative of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation is a global, multi-industry movement to apply circular economy principles and rethink the future of plastics in terms of packaging and negative impact.

Implement technology for sustainability

The fashion industry can leverage a suite of advanced technologies to drive a sustainability agenda: data analytics combined with artificial intelligence (AI) enables accurate demand planning and fulfilment. Blockchain offers traceability across the product lifecycle. 3D digital modeling and virtual try-on technologies reduce costs incurred in returns management.

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