Large and globally recognized fashion brands are working to change their supply
chain to avoid endangering forests. In April 2014 two of the world's largest high-
street clothing stores teamed with Canopy, a non-profit, to remove endangered and
ancient forests from their dissolvable pulp supply chain for their viscose and nylon
fabrics. Both companies are giving themselves three years to find alternative
sources, including straw and recycled fabrics.
They reason that consumers will not want clothing in their wardrobes that has that
kind of baggage. A spokesman for H&M said: "I don't know anyone buying a
garment who would like knowing that the fabric was sourced from an endangered
or ancient forest. The sustainability issue is a big learning curve for fashion
companies. Consumers are expecting us to make good choices for them — and yet
we can only make good decisions with good awareness of what is going into our
products."
This move could have impact on both ends of the fabric life chain. According to data
from the Council for Textile Recycling and the Environmental Protection Agency,
textiles constitute 5% of all landfill waste. The average American throws away 70
pounds of clothing and other textiles a year.
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