Can fast fashion slow down? It's not that simple

One of fast fashion's biggest players says it's taking major steps toward a more sustainable business model. But in an industry predicated on low cost, low quality and high production volume, experts say it won't be simple.

"It's hard to see how they actually deliver on their emissions reductions targets," said Ken Pucker, a professor at the Fletcher School at Tufts University in Medford, Mass., who focuses on sustainability.

"Because volumes are going to continue to go up."

In an ambitious new plan, Inditex, Zara's parent company, announced earlier this month that it will seek to cut its emissions in half by 2030, and become net zero by 2040. It also says it will transition to using materials that last longer and are easier to recycle.

Experts say the move signals a shift toward a circular business model — meaning materials get reused and regenerated instead of thrown away — as the fashion industry faces more and more criticism over its outsized environmental footprint.

In 2021, the World Economic Forum identified the fashion industry as the world's third-largest polluter. And as the trend cycle accelerates, most of the clothing purchased is only worn seven times before it's thrown out, according to a 2015 British study.

In its new plan, Zara says 40 per cent of the company's fibres will come from recycled material, 25 per cent from sustainably farmed crops, and another 25 per cent from "next-generation materials" that Inditex is investing in.

The big problem, say experts, is that the company shows no signs of slowing production, raising questions around how realistic these targets are.

"To get to their targets, these things all have to happen yesterday. And I worry that there is insufficient financial incentive and time that will compromise their ability to deliver on their goals," said Pucker.

The fast fashion industry is expanding. Companies like Shein and Fashion Nova, for instance, have gained huge popularity through social media, where Shein has 29.6 million followers on Instagram and people regularly post their fashion hauls on TikTok.

For fast fashion, the need to continually produce and grow presents a paradox, said Shivika Sinha, founder of the U.S.-based sustainable styling service Veneka.

"The paradox is that Zara is one of the originators of the fast-fashion model," Sinha said. "It's going to be tough for them to implement."

Still, Sinha said she believes Zara's targets are achievable.

"There is enough innovation on recycling for Zara to achieve these goals.… I think it's a matter of Zara's culture and where they prioritize their funding toward these sorts of projects, and how the EU is holding them accountable."