It’s no secret that the fashion industry has multiple sustainability challenges. According to The World Bank, “It takes 3,781 liters of water to make a pair of jeans, from the production of the cotton to the delivery of the final product to the store. That equates to the emission of around 33.4 kilograms of carbon equivalent. If that is for just one pair of jeans, imagine the environmental cost for everything in our wardrobes.”

The Ellen MacArthur Foundation reports that the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of annual carbon emissions and consumes 93 billion cubic meters of water every year, enough to meet the consumption needs of five million people.

Surely fashion brands are aware of their unsustainable practices, and some are making substantial changes. As we have noted, dramatic change will not be driven by the collective conscience of the fashion industry, although some efforts are being made. Dramatic change will be driven by consumer choices. When consumers dramatically reduce their spending on unsustainable fashion, brands will need to move faster to stay in business.