Fashion has long been perceived as a major contributor to forest fires, rising sea levels, unfair wages, exploitation of labour and overflowing landfills. Unfortunately, these perceptions hold true, WEF reported.
It takes over 4,000 litres of water to make a pair of jeans and most of that water is not recycled - indeed, one-fifth of all wastewater globally originates from fashion. The industry is also responsible for 10% of annual global carbon emissions, that’s more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined.
The entire fashion industry has been vilified for years. More recently, observers have lamented the rise of fast fashion for its unethical manufacturing practices, and general lack of respect for the environment. Yet despite the backlash, most fast-fashion companies have continued to grow.
As humans, we feel the social pressure to conform to attitudes that are widely accepted by society, often socially claiming that we support these causes even if our actions are not aligned with our claims. While most people are aware that ethical initiatives are important for a better future, they don’t easily deviate from their default behaviour, especially when it offers perks like affordability, style, and convenience.
This is where technology and the rapid digitization of the supply chain can make all the difference.
Digitizing the supply chain
Aside from the moral argument of leaving the planet better for future generations, we now have a very powerful tool in the industry’s arsenal - profits. Yes, it does sound like an oxymoron, but thanks to digitization, companies can unlock profitability sooner and create a significantly more transparent supply chain.
Digitization removes opacity and middlemen, improves speed, and lowers inventory days. This frees up margins and makes favourable changes to the bottom line. Digitization also comes with other significant benefits like transparency, predictability, accountability, and traceability, all of which are critical to creating irreversible positive change in fashion supply chains.