Retailers are working toward sustainability globlly. Inditex has a goal of making 100 per cent of its cotton, linen and polyester sustainable by 2025. Almost 90 per cent of Inditex’s fabrics are made up of cotton, linen, polyester and viscose, so more careful sourcing of these materials will help the company reduce its environmental impact. H&M has been growing its eco-conscious collection in recent years as well as launching a wave of green initiatives.

Fast Retailing, owner of Uniqlo, has committed to completely eliminating hazardous chemicals throughout its supply chain. Uniqlo will switch from plastic bags to paper bags in 12 countries from September and cut out plastic packaging on certain items. This will help eliminate around 7,800 tons of plastic a year.

Environmental and ethical issues surrounding fast fashion have escalated in recent years. The world now consumes in excess of 100 billion pieces of clothing a year. More than 92 million tons of waste are dumped in landfills every year. More than 30 per cent of microplastic pollution comes from washing synthetic textiles—much of which is produced by fast fashion brands. It is difficult to reconcile reducing environmental impact with a business model built on delivering increasing volumes of products at ever-cheaper prices.