The latest ZWE report, Beyond Circular Fashion â a new business model for the fashion industry, maps the state-of-play of todayâs fast fashion business model, which is based on overconsumption, resource depletion, social exploitation, fossil-based fibres, and greenwashing.
Published in the context of the EU Textiles Strategy, the report states that existing approaches and initiatives to making fashion fair and sustainable, while an important step forward, are insufficient in addressing harmful business models.
To reverse the current trend and pave the way for business models that fully comply with the circular economy and planetary boundaries, ZWEâs report identifies four essential criteria that must be simultaneously met:
- Design for physical and emotional durability;
- Demand-driven production to phase out unsolds and discounts;
- Full supply chain transparency and traceability post-sale;
- Extending the use-phase after first ownership.Theresa Morsen, Waste Policy Officer at ZWE, stated: âWith this report we are establishing guidance for businesses to become truly sustainable, ending overproduction and consumption to respect planetary boundaries. This will help to scale up sustainable business models, and ZWE intends to empower pioneers in this field.â
