Circular Textile Economy: It Won't Work Without Social Justice
In a chapter of the book “Fair Fashion?”, the authors shed light on the role of fair trade and justice in a circular textile economy
In a chapter of the book “Fair Fashion?”, the authors shed light on the role of fair trade and justice in a circular textile economy
The fashion industry is facing major challenges in terms of sustainability. Fair trade and other alternative models offer approaches for ethical and ecological change, but have not been sufficiently implemented in practice. In the book "Fair Fashion?", published by Transcript at the beginning of May, researchers take a critical look at the current economic system of the textile industry and analyze the potential of fair and sustainable trade.
Maike Demandt, researcher in the Circular Systems Research Unit, and Burcu Gözet, senior researcher in the Circular Systems Research Unit and co-head of the Wuppertal Institute's Berlin office, also contributed to the book. In their chapter, they shed light on the role of fair trade principles and justice in the context of the transformation towards a circular textile economy. They argue that the current textile industry is characterized by social and environmental inequalities, which manifest themselves particularly in global supply chains. Further, the implementation of a circular economy often neglects social and ethical aspects. The researchers back up their argument with an evaluation of political measures – such as the Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP)and the Ecodesign Regulation for Sustainable Textiles (ESPR) – based on key fair trade and justice principles. They also classify the role of organizations such as "Fairtrade International" within the transformation to a circular economy before summarizing their key findings in a conclusion. Here, they conclude that the transformation of the textile industry requires a comprehensive coordination of ecological sustainability with social justice. This would promote a circular economy that not only minimizes the impact on the environment, but also promotes social justice and global fairness.
The book was written as part of the "Fairfaktur" project, which was funded by the Institute for Applied Research Berlin (IFAF). "Fair Fashion?" is available in English and can be purchased under the following link as paperback book for 45 euros and free of charge as a PDF for free download.