Trends in Sustainable Retailing

92 million tons of old jeans and discarded t-shirts are building the future - literally. In London, a groundbreaking idea is converting the fashion industry's waste into a solution for the construction sector. Architecture student Clarice Merlet has connected these two fields with a new innovation: bricks made from discarded textiles. In 2017, Merlet realized the construction industry’s huge environmental impact and turned to discarded clothing as a solution. By 2019, her initiative, 'Fabric', was turning old fashion into new building materials. Here's why Fabric's innovation is capturing attention across industries: > Dual impact:  ‘Fabric’ addresses two major environmental issues at once: the fashion industry produces 92 million tons of waste each year (Global Fashion Agenda) and construction causes 39% of global carbon emissions (World Green Building Council). This solution tackles both problems together. > The process is remarkably straightforward: Collect and sort discarded clothing Shred the textiles into fibers Mix with eco-friendly binding agents Compress the mixture into molds Air-dry to create solid, durable bricks > These aren't just bricks. They're building blocks for furniture, décor, and architectural elements, opening new avenues for sustainable design. > These fabric bricks retain the colors of original textiles, eliminating the need for additional dyeing and further reducing environmental impact. > With global textile waste expected to rise to 148 million tons by 2030 (Global Fashion Agenda), Fabric is a prime example of the circular economy in action. This innovation highlights that cross-industry collaboration can lead to unexpected environmental solutions, and waste from one sector can become valuable in another. As fashion professionals, Fabric's story challenges us to think beyond conventional boundaries. How can we reimagine 'waste' in our field? What unexpected partnerships might lead to the next sustainability breakthrough? #SustainableFashion #CircularEconomy

90 million tons of textile waste ends up in landfills globally each year 🌎 The environmental cost of fast fashion is far greater than its price tag suggests. As highlighted by Scientific American, the industry is responsible for an estimated 8–10% of global greenhouse gas emissions and generates over 90 million tons of textile waste each year. Most garments are worn just a handful of times before being discarded. This linear model—produce, consume, discard—is reinforced by business strategies focused on speed and volume, rather than durability or reuse. With some brands adding thousands of new items daily, the system is structurally designed for obsolescence. Low-quality materials and accelerated trend cycles contribute directly to massive resource waste and unsustainable production levels. Compounding the environmental footprint is the material base: around 60% of fast-fashion items are made from synthetic fibers derived from fossil fuels. These textiles shed microplastics during washing and release hazardous chemicals as they degrade, polluting water systems and ecosystems. Innovative solutions are emerging to break this cycle. One of the most promising is textile-to-textile recycling, which converts post-consumer clothing into new, high-quality fibers. This process can involve mechanical recycling (for cotton and wool) or chemical regeneration (for synthetics and blends), producing materials that are functionally equivalent to virgin fibers. The video shared here illustrates how used garments can be disassembled, treated, and spun into new yarn—closing the loop and reducing reliance on virgin inputs. These technologies are advancing rapidly and have the potential to shift the fashion sector toward a circular materials economy. However, for these solutions to scale, they must be paired with policy interventions, extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes, and shifts in consumer behavior. Legislative moves in the EU and France—to ban the destruction of unsold goods and mandate product durability—are examples of systemic levers supporting the transition. As the fashion industry faces increasing scrutiny, aligning with circular design principles and investing in next-generation recycling is not just an environmental imperative—it is a strategic necessity for resilience, compliance, and long-term value creation. #sustainability #sustainable #business #esg #circulareconomy #circular

It's very simple: Today’s fashion system is oversized and only a really ambitious policy mix is going to change that. That's the basic premise behind the recent work of the Hot or Cool Institute, a project that has culminated in a series of policy briefs presenting interventions that address the structural lock-ins driving overproduction and overconsumption in the fashion sector. "Oversized" - what a brilliant way of putting it. Policy for fashion to date, Hot or Cool argues, has been focused on efficiency measures and product-level improvements, which will likely fail to deliver reduced environmental impacts, due to the presence of rebound effects in which growth in overall consumption and production volumes negates such efficiency gains. Examples include measures such as encouraging better product design, regulating waste, improving recycling and collection systems, or banning the destruction of unsold goods. While important, these interventions treat symptoms rather than addressing root causes, it explains. Instead, in “Resizing the Fashion System”, the non-profit organisation calls for transformative policies that fundamentally redesign and disrupt the logic (incentives, norms and assumptions) of the system. It promotes a push towards sufficiency strategies instead - that being “a set of measures and daily practices that avoid the demand for resources (energy, materials, land and water) while delivering human wellbeing for all within planetary boundaries. In the context of fashion this means targeting absolute reductions in end textile volumes.” The four policy areas it outlines include: ✅ Reshaping the global fibre market: addressing the market incentives driving the growth in synthetic production and end fossil fuel dependency  ✅ Building fair and equitable value chains: incentivising business models based on fair labour conditions, addressing power dynamics in supply chains and redistribute value  ✅ Reimagining fashion culture: disrupting the advertising business model and fostering non consumerist aspirations  ✅ Designing sustainable e-commerce: regulating the design and shifting the goal of e-commerce platforms from increasing basket size and frequency of purchases to fostering intentional purchasing practices I highly recommend reading all of the papers, link in comments. It was a pleasure to be involved in the development and workshopping of them over the past year. Congratulations to Hedda Roberts, Aimée Aguilar Jaber, Luca Coscieme, Lewis Akenji. Pictured is the systems map developed by Hot or Cool to show the systemic lock-ins driving overproduction and overconsumption in fashion. #fashion #sustainablefashion #ResizingFashion #sufficiency #policy 

🚨The Hidden Cost to the Ocean in Your Fashion Choices Clothing is one of the most intimate forms of self expression. It tells the world who we are, what we value, and the stories we choose to carry. Yet there is another story woven into our wardrobes that we rarely talk about. Every outfit has an impact that reaches far beyond our closets and into our ocean. Most modern fabrics are synthetic. Each time they are washed, tiny microplastic fibers escape into waterways and eventually reach the sea. There, they accumulate in marine life and ultimately make their way back to us. Many dyes and textile chemicals used in production flow through rivers and pollute coastal ecosystems. These impacts are invisible to us as consumers, yet very real for the ocean. Fast fashion has accelerated a throwaway culture. Clothes designed for only a handful of wears end up in landfills or informal dumping grounds across the world, where they shed plastics and toxins that move through soil and water systems. And the global movement of garments before they ever reach our doorsteps drives emissions that warm our ocean, stress coral reefs, and destabilize the ecosystems that sustain life. This is not about perfection. It is about choice. It is about realizing that fashion can be both a celebration of creativity and a force for planetary healing. We do not lose style by choosing differently. We gain purpose. Your decisions can change systems. Choosing organic or recycled fibers,g arments made to last,brands that invest in regenerative materials and clean chemistry. Repairing, reselling, renting, and buying vintage are also options. These choices signal demand, and demand reshapes industries. When we dress with intention, we do more than express our identity. We model the future we want to live in. A future where beauty and responsibility are aligned and where what we wear reflects care for the ocean that sustains us. If there are brands, materials, or practices you believe are moving fashion toward a more sustainable future, add them here so others can discover and support them. And if this perspective spoke to you, share it. When information travels, behavior shifts, and culture follows. That is how meaningful change takes place💙

GenZ is often lumped into a single generational group, where the assumption is that c.14 million people behave in similar ways. Of course, the reality is that there are many different shades of preferences and behaviours within any generational group. But perhaps none quite as diverse or paradoxical as GenZ. Growing up through successive periods of rapid upheaval, Gen Z are the first mobile-first generation, raised on smartphones, social platforms and digital payments. Their formative years have been defined by a pandemic that rewired shopping overnight, a cost-of-living crisis that redefined value, climate anxiety that influences brand choices and now the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), all compressed into their teens and early twenties. Our latest research with RSM focuses precisely on the many sides of GenZ behaviour when it comes to shopping and their varying outlooks on life. And also just how much variety there is between the late teens and the late twenties. This group is already hugely important. They account for around £26bn of non-food spending today, which is expected to rise to £38bn by 2035 as their commercial significance grows. But the habits being formed now will shape how brands need to evolve. Take ‘search’ as an example. While Google remains the #1 avenue of discovery for 25-28 year olds, 18-24 year olds rank social media higher. In essence, TikTok and Instagram are more influential channels for the youngest consumers. They value creator content and peer validation which is driving their choices. Shopping happens while scrolling. Take BookTok as an example. It's driven real book sales and pulled younger shoppers into physical bookstores. Social discovery generates actual footfall, not just engagement metrics. The numbers back this up: UK Gen Z will spend £3.4bn through social commerce in 2025 alone. And discovery doesn't stop at checkout as one in three Gen Z use social media for styling tips after they've already bought something. Many them will also post their positive experience, becoming brand ambassadors and while widening the discovery funnel for new customers. Key data points worth knowing: ➡️ 68% of Gen Z prefer shopping on smartphones – mobile is their gateway to everything ➡️ Only 28% are brand loyal – the rest mix brands (33%) or actively experiment (25%) ➡️ 34% of Gen Z regularly shop pre-loved items  ➡️ 47% have resold an item within months of purchase – ownership is fluid, and resale is built into their buying decisions They are also in many ways paradoxical. The generation positioned as eco-warriors and caring about sustainability the most are the same consumers powering Chinese commerce and fast fashion. Indeed, our research showed that 59% admit their generation talks more about sustainability than they practice – there's a gap between values and behaviour. Download the full report here > https://lnkd.in/eHugCUAk Great to work with Lisa Alty & Jacqui Baker on this

For decades, brands thrived on selling more. But today, buying less is the new consumer trend. Look around, and you’ll see the shift happening everywhere. People are choosing to repair, upcycle, or buy second-hand instead of purchasing new. Circular economy practices like renting, reselling, or packaging take-back programs are reshaping business models. And “Buy Nothing” groups are making ownership optional. So, how can brands survive in a world where consumers are deliberately consuming less? Look at Happi Planet. Instead of pushing more products, they offer a take-back program for packaging, making sustainability part of their business model. Similarly, global fashion brands like Patagonia and EILEEN FISHER, INC. have embraced repair, resale, and upcycling services to keep products in use longer. The brands winning in the deconsumerism era aren’t fighting the trend,they’re adapting to it. This shift isn’t a fad. It’s a wake-up call for brands to rethink their approach. Instead of selling more, they need to sell better. Instead of chasing quick transactions, they need to build lasting relationships. As deconsumerism grows, brands that align with purpose over profit will be the ones consumers stay loyal to. What other brands do you think are leading this shift? Do you believe deconsumerism will become mainstream, or will it stay niche? And as a consumer, how has your own buying behavior changed? #deconsumerism #marketing #sustainability #startups

Sustainability by Numbers. In today's world, driven by social media, consumers are more tuned in than ever to sustainability, climate change, and ethical sourcing. They're looking for brands that are open and forthright in these areas and those capable of striking the perfect balance between transparency and building brand trust are poised to gain a significant competitive advantage. However, consumers are facing a challenge. They want to make eco-conscious choices but often get bewildered by confusing terms and labeling. This is where "greenwashing" comes into play—brands using terms like 'green,' 'sustainable,' or 'eco-friendly' without clear definitions, leaving consumers uncertain about what's genuinely good for the planet. One solution to this eco-confusion is carbon footprint labeling. This shows consumers the carbon dioxide emissions created as a by-product of manufacturing, transporting, or disposing of a product. More and more companies are adopting this as part of their CSR efforts, but it's not without complexity—measuring a product's carbon footprint can be tricky, even for something as simple as a tomato. Many questions arise; What method of fertilisation was used? How were they transported and packaged? Did land deforestation take place to make room for farmland? How much water was used during irrigation? Not easy! Another hurdle lies in effectively communicating data. Research indicates that the majority of consumers struggle to grasp the significance of figures like 15g or 20kg of carbon. On this basis, relying solely on numerical data often falls short—brands must take the initiative to educate consumers about the real-world implications behind these numbers, providing valuable context for informed choices. Compounding this confusion is the proliferation of eco-labels, with over 400 certifications worldwide, each with its unique standards. While carbon labeling is a promising step, it's still in its early days. Brands like Oatly, Quorn, and Unilever are leading the way by including labels on their packaging. Oatly, in particular, has been at the forefront since 2019 and is actively encouraging all UK food and beverage companies to follow suit. They've even challenged the dairy industry to disclose its climate numbers for a fair comparison, offering free high-profile advertising space to 'Big Dairy' if they publish the full climate footprint of their products. Over time, labeling will become more consistent, credible, and accurate. Standardised measurement methods will level the playing field for brands. In the meantime, consumers will keep pushing for better products, businesses will invest more in green marketing, and carbon labeling will hopefully start to play a bigger role in purchasing decisions. Would you be able to make sense of 15g or 20kg of carbon when assessing a product's environmental impact? #sustainability #carbonfootprint #packaging #foodindustry #advertisingandmarketing 📷@Oatly

The Gen Z take on sustainability is not that different from other generations. It's always a little weird whenever I’m asked to provide the “youth” perspective on sustainability. I felt the same hesitation when Richard Bleasdale reached out about curating this session for our IAA Singapore talk on sustainability. Price sensitivity? Most of us (if not all) wouldn’t pay a premium for something we can’t see the value in. I’ve heard many criticisms of Gen Zs being socially aware but unwilling to make personal sacrifices. Isn't that applicable to every generation? Who would be happy about paying more to fly greener, or be taxed for plastic bags? Who wants to be inconvenienced? Perhaps the awareness-action gap is more pronounced in a generation that is more vocal about social issues. In this conversation, Camillia Dass and I hoped to show what Gen Zs really think about brands trying to be sustainable. We are all living in a warming world, with existing systems that make it hard to live 100% sustainably even if we want to. Faced with a cost-of-living crisis, extreme weather yet driving modern overconsumption and feeding AI chatbots. Then what is the Gen Z take? I think we are a generation that is willing to experiment, rid ourselves of what things are "supposed to be" and reinvent. This is a generation that has driven the explosive rise in second-hand fashion, who is open to try circular systems, and new ways of living and working. A generation that chases trends (but does any generation not, at some point?) but also drives trends such as underconsumption core and deinfluencing. A generation that is consumes a lot of information to learn about the brands they buy from, whether they do it actively or passively from being chronically online. Brands cannot hide behind sustainability messaging anymore when this generation can dig up receipts easily when messaging and actions don't align. It is a generation that may feel disempowered and cynical about action but the lack of agency to act may not come from a place of disinterest but stems from a lack of economic and political agency. They act in ways they can, whether it's through their votes, where they work, speaking up and withdrawing spending from brands that don't align with their values. Every generation was Gen Z at some point, but Gen Zs of today perhaps are equipped with a lot more tools, more knowledge and hopefully more courage to act than before. This conversation opened a can of worms, as the Gen Xs and Millenials in the room chimed in on where we may share similarities (and cynicisms) or who may have it worst. But our takeaway stayed the same which is that sustainability can no longer be just a part of a brand story, it has to be part of a brand's operating system in order to resonate with a more online and more discerning audience - whatever the age :P (Don't ask me about Gen Alpha though, there are too many things I don't understand.)

Consumers often say sustainability matters, but it rarely drives purchasing decisions consistently. That may be changing. As more people rely on GenAI for product recommendations, sustainability could become more influential, not because AI cares about marketing claims, but because it values evidence. Product carbon footprints, life cycle assessments, verified environmental data, and measurable outcomes are all information AI can evaluate and compare. In this article, I explore how the rise of AI-assisted purchasing may shift the competitive advantage from the best sustainability story to the strongest sustainability evidence, and what companies can do to make their products more discoverable and credible in an AI-driven marketplace.

The shift towards sustainable business practices is becoming a cornerstone of modern enterprise strategy. Consumers are increasingly choosing suppliers with strong environmental records, which drives B2B buyers to prioritize sustainability in their procurement processes. The willingness of consumers to invest in sustainable packaging reflects a broader trend toward environmental responsibility. The demand for transparency in green claims is also growing, as evidenced by regulatory scrutiny over misleading information. Globally, there is a substantial movement of investment capital toward companies with robust environmental, social, and governance (ESG) strategies, indicating that sustainability is not just an ethical imperative but also a financial one. This trend is further underscored by significant growth in sales of products marketed as sustainable and those using renewable sources, highlighting the business impact of sustainability commitments. #Sustainability #BusinessTransformation