Ipsos Group—the parent organisation of Synthesio Inc—is a multinational market research and consulting firm headquartered in Paris.
A recent study by Ipsos Synthesio, an artificial-intelligence enabled consumer intelligence platform, revealed that online consumers in the UK, US, and France are concerned about the impact of the fashion industry on the environment.
It found that negative comments about fast fashion were steadily increasing.
The study found that online conversations on fast fashion increased 52 percent between 2020 and 2012, while negative attitudes towards the subject have steadily increased.
Cheap, trendy clothing is under the microscope in social media conversations, not only because of its impact on the environment, but because of fast fashion brands’ treatment of workers, it said.
Social media users are most concerned with sustainable brands, shopping habits and alternatives. In the period 2020-2022, upcycling and sustainable fashion accounted for 16.9% of all fashion-related discussions in each country.
Only in 2022, sustainable fashion was mentioned more than 13 percent on average, with the United Kingdom seeing the biggest increase.
The initiative Textiles 2030 was initiated by Worldwide Responsible Accredited (WRAP), a non-profit organization that aims to bring together UK fashion, textile and environmental organisations.
As of now, 17 firms, which represent more than 50 percent of UK apparel and textile sales have signed this agreement. These businesses are committing to reduce their impact on the environment by 50% and 30 per cent.
The initiative also provides a ‘Roadmap to 2030’ which guides signatories on how they can achieve these ambitious targets.
The initiative has not set any targets for textile waste yet, but it does aim to reduce the use of virgin fabrics by 2025.
The UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, as well as retailers and brands, as well as reuse and recycling organizations, are all signatories of the agreement.
These commitments have been translated into actions in the retail industry. Ipsos stated that the number of clothing and textile return schemes in stores and online, and bring-back banks have all increased.
The actions taken by the government support the transition to a circular economic system, as they help extend the lifespan of textile products while increasing the reuse and recycle.
There are restrictions in place for retailers to implement such programs.
The public’s willingness to accept retailer-takeback programmes is very low. Just 2 per cent choose this option for donating their unwanted clothes.
In a survey conducted by WRAP on behalf of the consumer, 15% of those who said they had disposed an item through a retailer’s take-back program in their most recent big clean out, stated they bought new clothes at the same time as dropping off unwanted items. Another 20% stated they did this often.
Press release: This could suggest that these schemes inadvertently increase textile consumption.
WRAP published a report on the textile policy options accompanied with a cost-benefit study, which provided detailed insight into possible measures to achieve a sustainable future.
The report stresses the need for a shift to a more circular economy where products and materials can be re-used, waste reduced, and materials kept longer in use.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk