Source Fashion, the UK’s leading responsible sourcing platform, has released an innovative report addressing one of fashion’s most damaging issues: overproduction. Titled “Do We Really Need to Produce So Much?”, the 2025 report, developed in collaboration with retail futures consultancy Insider Trends, sheds light on the staggering scale of fashion’s waste problem and offers solutions.
The report reveals that the global fashion industry produces between 80 and 150 billion garments annually, with up to 40 per cent remaining unsold and often ending up in landfill or incineration. Despite this, only 1 per cent of brands are actively working to reduce production volumes.
Rather than simply outlining the problem, the report offers a blueprint for change, highlighting four innovative business models: on-demand production, circular design, retail-as-a-service, and collaborative creation with consumers. These models are already being tested by forward-thinking brands and, according to the report, can not only reduce environmental impact but also improve margins and build consumer trust.
“This report highlights the uncomfortable truth behind retail’s success volume,” said Suzanne Ellingham, Sourcing Director at Source. “The fashion industry must now ask not just how it produces, but how much and why.”
The report arrives amid tightening regulations, shifting consumer values, and economic pressure. It positions overproduction as not just an environmental issue, but a commercial risk and an opportunity for brands ready to evolve.
To deepen the conversation, Source will host a live webinar, “Rethinking Volume - Fashion’s Shift from Overproduction to On-Demand”, on 20th June in partnership with Insider Trends.
