Sustainable Fashion – Is Logistics a Challenge For This Industry?

We all have heard or used the phrase "sustainable fashion" many times, but what exactly does it imply? Sustainable fashion means clothing that is designed, stitched, distributed, and worn in an environmentally beneficial manner. Simply means, from manufacturing to its wear, it doesn’t harm the environment in any way. That is the reason these apparels are delicate transport and require extra care in warehousing the stock.

Clothing manufactured in ways that emphasise social welfare and worker rights is referred to as ethical fashion, a word that is also used in the conscious consumerism arena. For people who don’t eat non-vegetarian food and even vegans, for them, ethical fashion refers to clothes that do not contain pelts, leather, or animal fibres. However, because environmentalists and socially equitable activities work for hand in hand, ethical and sustainable fashion are inextricably linked.

Designs that Produce Less Waste

First, understand why sustainable fashion clothing is delicate and what is the challenge in its logistics. Cutting out patterns generates a lot of waste in the fashion business, thus some sustainable fashion firms are designing patterns that waste no material. Additionally, firms may seek to reduce waste by eliminating superfluous plastic packaging throughout transport from the producer, to the warehouse, and the client; and/or ship in bulk using recycled or biodegradable transportation materials during allocation and replenishment. The best way is to look for a logistics partner that uses superfluous packaging materials during transportation.

Why the World is Supporting Sustainable Fashion?

Natural and organic materials with low environmental impact, such as cotton, hemp, silk, wool, linen, cellulose fibres, and leather are generally preferred to virgin, petroleum-derived synthetics like polyester, acrylic, and nylon. Natural fibres, unlike synthetic fibres, are biodegradable and can compost cleanly back into the soil, provided no dangerous chemical residues remain in the fabric. Whereas, synthetic fibres do not biodegrade and instead sit in landfills, continuously seeping poisonous chemicals and gases.

While cellulose fibres are derived from plants, some are collected through harsh harvesting that contributes to deforestation, and many are manufactured in ways that release harmful chemical byproducts throughout the production process. However, some natural materials like organic cotton, hemp and linen are more environmentally friendly than others. Some wools and plant fibres can even be grown in regenerative methods, which means they can trap carbon and replenish healthy soils that help to combat climate change. Hence, the demand for sustainable items of clothing is increasing continuously and so are the logistics opportunities. At AWL India, we understood this and build an infrastructure whether transport or storage that handles and stockpiles sustainable clothing in the most advanced and protective ways. WASS (Warehouse As A Service) is the innovation that we have come up with that enables robotics, drones, automation and AI to do most of the warehousing processes. If human hands are not dexterous enough to carry apparel efficiently then they can damage the products but robotics doesn’t make such a mistake when programmed properly.

Recycled Materials

Using pre-existing materials to create new clothing is always a good idea because it avoids the exploitation of fresh resources from the Earth and instead makes the most of items that would otherwise be thrown away. Such fashion is also very affordable. These recycled materials are created but never sold nor used and are meant to be thrown away. Because of the affordability, the demand for such clothes is high in the world’s bazaars. And here supply chain management plays an important part in the transportation and warehousing of such recycled materials that can be used for creating masterpiece apparel.

Environmentally Friendly Dyes

It's crucial to evaluate the environmental impact of dyes and textile treatment techniques whether you're looking at natural or synthetic fibres. Many dyeing and finishing methods consume a lot of water and harmful chemicals. Eco-friendly dyes include those used in digital printing, which uses less water, as well as natural, plant-based dyes and certified non-toxic colours. Super-safe transportation of such dyes is important so that toxic elements don’t come in contact with humans and the environment.

The fashion sector has a large carbon footprint due to all of the stitching, dyeing and shipping that always keep going. Many manufacturers address this by producing apparel closer to where it will be sold rather than shipping from overseas. Others reduce their carbon footprint by supplying renewable energy to their administrative and manufacturing units via solar panels and wind turbines. Support local makers who use regional fibres and produce their clothing in renewable energy-powered facilities.

Conclusion

Sustainable fashion is concerned with clothing that is designed, manufactured, supplied, and used in an environmentally sustainable manner. You can prioritise the following to green your clothing in addition to letting impulse wishes pass. Buying garments created locally or in renewable-energy-powered factories, or clothes made using low-impact on nature, natural materials, recycled, up-cycled, or deadstock materials, eco-friendly dyes, and/or zero or low-waste designs is the foremost thing to save life on earth. A lot of organizations around the world are continuously working towards this and promoting eco-friendly products. And of the ever-increasing demand for these products, supply chain management becomes highly crucial. A reliable partner handling your logistics is a very important step and should be taken carefully. AWL India is one the giants in supply chain management catering to logistics and warehousing needs for businesses in over seventy countries with a 10 Million sq. ft. of warehouses alone in India.

Also Read: Awl India Is Opening India’s Largest Warehouse Exclusively For Fashion Apparel