Ahead of Copenhagen Fashion Week starting today, ten Danish clothing companies, including Bestseller and Ganni, reached an agreement to commit themselves to being part of a greener textile industry by 2030.
The agreement was drawn up by Miljøstyrelsen, three industry associations and the signatory companies.
Among its contents, the most important goal is that recycled materials must account for 40 percent of the signatory companies’ production fabrics by 2030.
Ambitious goals
“It’s questionable whether the 40 percent recycled material goal can be achieved, as it is very difficult to recycle textile fibres compared to materials such as plastics,” Else Skjold, a lecturer and PhD in design and sustainability at Det Kongelige Akademi, told DR.
The goal is a step up from the EU strategy for sustainable textiles issued in March this year, but it will be difficult to achieve with the current technology, according to Skjold.
“We lack technology, and it is very expensive to develop,” she said.
Consumer responsibility
Based on the way the fashion industry works today, Skjold believes that some very short-lived garments are in fact “misproduction”. In this regard, consumer choice is particularly important.
“We need to adjust our spending habits, go to tailors to repair torn clothes and buy more second-hand clothes. And to stop buying the junk we never wear,” she added.
