0:00:01.598,0:00:03.785
Narrator: We’re constantly[br]bombarded with media

0:00:03.785,0:00:06.553
that puts pressure on us[br]to buy newer and trendier clothes.

0:00:06.764,0:00:09.415
Just to throw them away[br]when they’re no longer in style.

0:00:09.892,0:00:14.089
An estimated 93 million tons[br]go to landfill or are burned every year.

0:00:14.150,0:00:19.328
Suki Dsanj-Lenz: And that’s roughly[br]about a garbage truckload of textiles,

0:00:19.328,0:00:22.192
every second going to landfill.

0:00:22.192,0:00:23.332
Every second.

0:00:23.449,0:00:26.792
N: Producing clothes also pollutes[br]our water and churns out CO2.

0:00:26.859,0:00:29.186
The fast fashion model pioneered by Zara

0:00:29.186,0:00:32.619
means that brands are churning out[br]double the amount of clothing per year

0:00:32.619,0:00:34.093
as they did in the early 2000s.

0:00:34.093,0:00:35.995
But companies say that’s about to change

0:00:35.995,0:00:38.362
because we can now[br]buy eco-friendly fast fashion.

0:00:38.431,0:00:41.288
And also recycle our clothes[br]when we don’t want them anymore.

0:00:41.543,0:00:43.020
But can we believe them?

0:00:50.057,0:00:51.921
Inditex, Zara’s parent company,

0:00:51.921,0:00:52.928
and H&M Group

0:00:52.928,0:00:55.452
are two of the biggest[br]fashion retailers in the world,

0:00:55.452,0:00:57.599
and both have collections[br]that claim to reduce

0:00:57.599,0:00:59.628
the environmental impact[br]of making clothes.

0:00:59.628,0:01:01.576
Not only that, but the two fashion giants

0:01:01.576,0:01:04.246
say they are making[br]their entire brands more sustainable.

0:01:05.518,0:01:08.685
Let’s take a look at these promises,[br]starting with the materials.

0:01:08.685,0:01:10.309
[MATERIALS]

0:01:11.031,0:01:15.159
Main materials at Zara & H&M,[br]as well as worldwide, are polyester,

0:01:15.159,0:01:18.761
which accounts for around 52%[br]of total fiber production,

0:01:18.761,0:01:21.374
and cotton, which is around 24%.

0:01:21.500,0:01:23.929
PET is a different name for polyester

0:01:23.929,0:01:26.839
and is the same type of plastic[br]that's found in water bottles.

0:01:27.109,0:01:28.887
Actually,

0:01:28.887,0:01:31.718
60% of PET production goes to textiles,

0:01:31.718,0:01:33.906
and only 30% to water bottles.

0:01:35.313,0:01:37.355
The material is produced from petroleum,

0:01:37.355,0:01:39.167
and the process uses lots of energy

0:01:39.167,0:01:40.517
and releases CO2,

0:01:40.517,0:01:43.670
as well as acids and ammonia[br]into the water supply.

0:01:44.360,0:01:48.968
Recycled polyester uses up to 60%[br]less energy than virgin material

0:01:48.968,0:01:51.070
and can be made from textile scraps

0:01:51.070,0:01:52.336
or plastic trash.

0:01:52.758,0:01:56.873
But inconsistencies in the threads[br]can make it require more dye,

0:01:56.873,0:01:57.876
and experts say

0:01:57.876,0:02:01.699
that polyester fabrics can shed[br]700,000 microplastic fibers

0:02:01.699,0:02:03.062
with every wash,

0:02:03.062,0:02:04.764
which end up in the ocean,

0:02:04.764,0:02:06.226
and also in our food.

0:02:08.658,0:02:10.329
Cotton doesn't have these problems,

0:02:10.329,0:02:12.780
but is still a chemical[br]and water intensive crop.

0:02:12.910,0:02:15.237
According to the World Wide[br]Fund for Nature,

0:02:15.237,0:02:19.141
it takes 20,000 liters of water[br]to make one kilo of cotton,

0:02:19.141,0:02:21.861
which is enough for one T-shirt[br]and a pair of jeans.

0:02:22.630,0:02:27.239
Also, around 11% of the world’s pesticides[br]are used on cotton fields.

0:02:27.415,0:02:28.800
So is organic cotton better?

0:02:28.800,0:02:30.896
SDL: Essentially there's[br]a massive difference

0:02:30.896,0:02:32.733
between organic cotton and cotton.

0:02:33.200,0:02:36.079
N: This is Suki, a representative[br]of Fashion Revolution,

0:02:36.079,0:02:38.395
which is an organization[br]that advocates worldwide

0:02:38.395,0:02:41.501
for transparency and sustainability[br]in the fashion industry.

0:02:42.418,0:02:48.019
SDL: Organic cotton is, in the long term,[br]much better for the farmer that grows it

0:02:48.019,0:02:51.158
and the environment[br]and the soil that produces it,

0:02:51.158,0:02:54.001
and it's less water intensive

0:02:54.001,0:02:56.801
and doesn't require[br]as much irrigation as such.

0:02:57.243,0:02:59.003
N: We requested an interview with H&M

0:02:59.003,0:03:01.007
about the sustainability[br]of their products,

0:03:01.007,0:03:02.008
but they declined.

0:03:02.008,0:03:03.063
Over email, they said,

0:03:03.063,0:03:05.397
"We are happy to say[br]that by the end of this year,

0:03:05.397,0:03:07.933
all cotton we use will come[br]from sustainable sources."

0:03:07.933,0:03:10.862
Zara also responded[br]only through email, saying,

0:03:10.862,0:03:14.888
"In 2019, the Group [Inditex,[br]Zara's parent company]

0:03:14.888,0:03:18.450
used over 38,000 tonnes[br]of sustainable cotton in its clothing,

0:03:18.450,0:03:20.851
up 105% from 2018."

0:03:21.842,0:03:23.996
But what does sustainable actually mean?

0:03:24.386,0:03:27.434
There’s no standard definition,[br]and it doesn’t equal organic.

0:03:27.660,0:03:30.975
H&M says that sustainable cotton[br]can also mean recycled

0:03:30.975,0:03:34.280
or cotton that uses[br]less pesticides and GMOs.

0:03:37.540,0:03:39.484
Zara portrays its cotton as sustainable,

0:03:39.484,0:03:42.452
but calls it ecologically grown[br]instead of organic.

0:03:42.452,0:03:46.084
It claims the cotton uses[br]natural fertilizers and pesticides,

0:03:46.084,0:03:49.220
and is certified[br]by the Organic Content Standard

0:03:49.220,0:03:51.946
and the Global Organic Textile Standard,

0:03:51.946,0:03:54.265
which say they control[br]for chemical and water use

0:03:54.265,0:03:55.979
in the whole production process.

0:03:59.041,0:04:01.648
Terms like "conscious"[br]and "ecologically grown"

0:04:01.648,0:04:02.935
are hard to fact-check,

0:04:02.935,0:04:05.103
as well as confusing for the consumer.

0:04:05.383,0:04:08.142
But according to the non-profit[br]Textile Exchange,

0:04:08.142,0:04:12.917
in 2016, H&M was the second largest[br]user of organic cotton in the world.

0:04:13.127,0:04:14.469
Zara was the fourth.

0:04:16.253,0:04:17.742
Let’s focus on synthetics.

0:04:18.202,0:04:20.122
In H&M's sustainable collection,

0:04:20.122,0:04:23.124
the synthetic clothing has to be[br]at least 50% recycled.

0:04:23.578,0:04:27.498
Zara doesn’t specify their percentage,[br]and their labeling can be confusing.

0:04:27.692,0:04:30.778
This jacket says[br]it’s 100% recycled polyamide,

0:04:30.778,0:04:33.261
which makes it seem like[br]it’s completely recycled.

0:04:33.441,0:04:35.091
But the filling is polyester.

0:04:35.091,0:04:36.552
That’s a different material.

0:04:37.246,0:04:39.489
And this isn’t the only time this happens.

0:04:39.489,0:04:43.390
The percentage recycled statement[br]often doesn’t refer to the whole garment,

0:04:43.390,0:04:46.748
making it look like the item[br]is more recycled than it actually is.

0:04:47.538,0:04:49.600
On the subject of transparent labeling,

0:04:49.600,0:04:52.242
the Join Life tags[br]are also on the Zara website

0:04:52.242,0:04:54.970
and are stamped by[br]the Forest Stewardship Council.

0:04:54.970,0:04:58.390
This would seem to imply the clothing[br]is certified by this organization.

0:04:58.650,0:05:01.735
The stamp, however,[br]is only referring to the tag,

0:05:01.735,0:05:03.550
not to the whole clothing item.

0:05:03.991,0:05:05.510
Talk about misleading.

0:05:07.339,0:05:11.846
Zara has committed to sustainable cotton[br]and polyester by 2025.

0:05:11.956,0:05:15.841
H&M says all of their materials[br]to be sustainable by 2030,

0:05:15.841,0:05:19.313
and for 2019, that figure[br]was already at 57%.

0:05:19.470,0:05:21.141
If they stick to these commitments,

0:05:21.141,0:05:23.150
it could mean big changes[br]for the industry.

0:05:23.560,0:05:25.532
But material is only part of the story.

0:05:27.008,0:05:28.522
[SUPPLY CHAIN TRANSPARENCY]

0:05:29.283,0:05:31.538
To find out if that cotton[br]is actually organic,

0:05:31.538,0:05:33.893
or that polyester is actually recycled,

0:05:33.893,0:05:36.790
consumers need to be able[br]to check the production process.

0:05:37.437,0:05:39.328
With an H&M Conscious T-shirt,

0:05:39.328,0:05:42.283
you can find out in which[br]specific factory it was made.

0:05:42.283,0:05:45.809
So it’s theoretically possible[br]to check the factory’s sustainability.

0:05:46.090,0:05:49.057
Zara only lists how many suppliers[br]it has in one city,

0:05:49.057,0:05:50.880
but not their names and addresses.

0:05:51.402,0:05:53.926
They were both evaluated[br]by Fashion Revolution,

0:05:53.926,0:05:56.064
an organization advocating[br]for transparency

0:05:56.064,0:05:57.918
and sustainability in fashion.

0:05:58.310,0:06:02.021
None of the 250 large brands[br]scored over 80%,

0:06:02.021,0:06:06.152
but for 2020, H&M was the highest[br]scoring brand, with 73%,

0:06:06.152,0:06:07.566
so quite transparent.

0:06:07.566,0:06:09.651
Zara scored a 43%.

0:06:09.651,0:06:10.682
Not so much.

0:06:10.782,0:06:12.418
This is important because:

0:06:13.475,0:06:15.905
Kim Weerd: Suppliers[br]are one of the few stakeholders

0:06:15.905,0:06:18.193
with a front row seat[br]to brands' inner workings.

0:06:18.320,0:06:20.180
N: Kim has a background in human rights

0:06:20.180,0:06:22.582
and was a garment[br]factory manager in Cambodia.

0:06:22.951,0:06:26.990
KW: They uniquely have access[br]to the information that consumers

0:06:26.990,0:06:31.051
need to be able to crosscheck[br]brands' actions against their words.

0:06:31.459,0:06:33.383
N: So being able to research suppliers

0:06:33.383,0:06:37.246
allows people to hold brands accountable[br]to their sustainability claims, but -

0:06:37.246,0:06:40.721
SDJ: Just because you're transparent,[br]it does not mean you're sustainable,

0:06:40.830,0:06:42.616
It does not mean that at all.

0:06:42.616,0:06:44.468
And that's really, really important.

0:06:44.872,0:06:47.494
N: Even for brands [that] know[br]their whole supply chain,

0:06:47.494,0:06:49.827
making an eco-friendly garment is hard.

0:06:50.620,0:06:52.418
Jessie Li: Let's pick up a denim.

0:06:52.418,0:06:56.117
You can see the dyeing is done[br]in a more environmentally responsible way,

0:06:56.117,0:06:58.319
but the cotton is not produced the same.

0:06:58.613,0:07:00.660
N: Jessie has worked[br]in different industries

0:07:00.660,0:07:02.617
from product inspection to purchasing,

0:07:02.617,0:07:05.475
to product development,[br]in both China and Cambodia.

0:07:06.136,0:07:07.900
JL: Or take another example.

0:07:07.900,0:07:11.588
The whole piece of the clothes[br]is made out of the waste,

0:07:11.588,0:07:14.181
but not dyed in a responsible way.

0:07:14.181,0:07:15.899
So, they're green,

0:07:15.899,0:07:18.518
but it's different degrees of green

0:07:18.518,0:07:20.365
or different degrees of less bad.

0:07:20.661,0:07:23.942
N: Because an item of clothing[br]is made up of many different materials,

0:07:23.942,0:07:25.736
all manufactured in different ways,

0:07:25.736,0:07:28.880
it’s hard to make each piece[br]less harmful to the environment.

0:07:29.090,0:07:30.192
This is also the reason

0:07:30.192,0:07:33.983
why recycling clothing is much harder[br]than H&M and Zara would seem to claim.

0:07:33.983,0:07:36.320
[RECYCLING]

0:07:36.890,0:07:38.138
N: H&M’s advertisements

0:07:38.138,0:07:41.467
say that the company is working[br]towards a circular future for clothing.

0:07:42.259,0:07:43.469
According to the website,

0:07:43.469,0:07:45.421
you can bring your clothing to any store,

0:07:45.421,0:07:47.559
and it will be resold[br]as second-hand clothing,

0:07:47.559,0:07:49.966
reused as other textiles, or recycled.

0:07:54.923,0:07:56.832
Zara has a similar campaign.

0:07:56.832,0:07:59.414
It says it partners[br]with different local organizations,

0:07:59.414,0:08:01.752
which then take over[br]what happens to the clothing.

0:08:01.752,0:08:03.918
[REUSED FOR INDUSTRIAL MATERIALS]

0:08:05.091,0:08:06.456
So what does happen?

0:08:06.673,0:08:09.687
They are resold, reused, and recycled,

0:08:09.687,0:08:11.684
but not in the proportions[br]you might think.

0:08:11.941,0:08:14.712
Over half of donated clothing[br]is sold overseas.

0:08:15.206,0:08:18.233
The rest is mostly turned[br]into industrial material,

0:08:18.233,0:08:20.440
burned, or goes to landfill.

0:08:22.290,0:08:25.490
Less than 1% of the material[br]in used clothing

0:08:25.490,0:08:27.339
is recycled into new clothing.

0:08:27.339,0:08:29.271
A big reason is lack of technology.

0:08:29.791,0:08:32.202
Remember how many materials[br]were in the jacket?

0:08:32.202,0:08:34.785
Well, they need to come out[br]again to recycle it.

0:08:35.479,0:08:39.566
Maxi Bohn: "Garments[br]that are made from mono materials,

0:08:39.566,0:08:43.872
or can easily be taken apart into pieces,

0:08:44.912,0:08:48.179
can be recycled.

0:08:48.737,0:08:51.256
N: Maxi started her career[br]as a certified dressmaker

0:08:51.256,0:08:52.608
over ten years ago

0:08:52.608,0:08:56.358
and has headed product development[br]for Hugo Boss and major online retailers.

0:08:56.915,0:08:58.626
MB: But think about your wardrobe.

0:08:58.626,0:09:02.455
How many pieces would fulfill[br]these requirements?

0:09:03.191,0:09:06.098
N: So giving back clothing[br]is better than throwing it away,

0:09:06.098,0:09:08.422
but the chances of it[br]actually getting recycled

0:09:08.422,0:09:09.711
are very low.

0:09:11.508,0:09:14.207
H&M and Zara are investing[br]in recycling research,

0:09:14.207,0:09:16.021
but we looked at their annual reports,

0:09:16.021,0:09:20.106
and the amount is 0.5% and 0.02%[br]of their profits, respectively.

0:09:20.260,0:09:23.262
They say returning clothes is circular,[br]which isn’t really true.

0:09:23.262,0:09:24.353
And even if it were -

0:09:24.353,0:09:27.402
SDL: That's not the solution[br]to our overconsumption.

0:09:28.455,0:09:29.995
Or our overproduction.

0:09:30.740,0:09:33.790
N: The problem is that too much clothing[br]is produced, and bought,

0:09:33.790,0:09:35.898
whether the clothing[br]is eco-friendly or not.

0:09:36.391,0:09:39.272
MB: Let's just say you're putting[br]one person here who says,

0:09:39.272,0:09:44.399
"You know what? I don't give a (bleep)[br]about anything recycled or organic.

0:09:45.550,0:09:49.360
I will, once a year,[br]buy a nice pair of pants,

0:09:49.360,0:09:51.398
and I don't care about anything,"

0:09:51.398,0:09:53.587
and then there are[br]these people who are saying,

0:09:53.587,0:09:58.313
"Yes, I'm really aware, I want to do that.[br]I want to commit to the environment.

0:09:58.313,0:10:01.913
And the pair of jeans[br]that I'm going to buy every four weeks

0:10:01.913,0:10:03.248
will always be sustainable."

0:10:03.248,0:10:04.283
So -

0:10:04.667,0:10:07.218
still this person is "better?"

0:10:07.973,0:10:10.817
N: Buying clothing every four weeks[br]is relatively new.

0:10:10.817,0:10:15.117
Before the 90s, designers made clothes[br]for two fashion seasons per year,

0:10:15.117,0:10:18.742
and now fashion retailers put out clothes[br]in as little as two weeks.

0:10:18.940,0:10:22.068
More clothes mean[br]cheaper prices, lower quality,

0:10:22.068,0:10:24.683
and more ending up[br]in the landfill or burned.

0:10:25.890,0:10:28.000
But it’s not just big fast fashion brands;

0:10:28.000,0:10:29.760
it’s the fashion industry in general,

0:10:29.760,0:10:33.308
and our desire for constantly changing[br]outfits that need to hit pause.

0:10:35.321,0:10:40.560
SDL: We need to think about how we shop[br]and what we're really calling for.

0:10:42.121,0:10:45.810
But there is a bold step

0:10:45.810,0:10:51.478
in a number of notable fashion brands[br]and fashion houses now

0:10:51.478,0:10:52.604
going seasonless,

0:10:52.604,0:10:55.886
and hats off to them[br]it's an important thing to do.

0:10:56.534,0:10:58.943
N: The concept doesn’t mean[br]sacrificing style,

0:10:58.943,0:11:02.306
but instead making clothing to last[br]rather than be thrown away.

0:11:03.350,0:11:05.820
Karishma Khan: So all in all,[br]what we're trying to do

0:11:05.820,0:11:09.482
is working with clothing[br]that is not very seasonal, so to say.

0:11:09.482,0:11:12.365
It should be something[br]that you can wear year after year.

0:11:12.365,0:11:13.968
We want to focus in quality.

0:11:14.126,0:11:15.886
N: Karishma is the founder of Ka-Sha,

0:11:15.886,0:11:18.976
an Indian brand featured in magazines[br]like Forbes and Vogue

0:11:18.976,0:11:21.024
for championing eco-friendly fashion.

0:11:21.302,0:11:22.737
KK: So we try to make products

0:11:22.737,0:11:26.252
that try to fit into different places

0:11:26.252,0:11:28.486
depending on who's wearing it[br]and how it's worn.

0:11:28.486,0:11:31.012
So we have a lot of different[br]aspects to our clothing.

0:11:31.012,0:11:33.536
N: So what do you do[br]when you want to buy new clothes?

0:11:33.536,0:11:36.822
H&M and Zara say their eco-collections[br]are better for the environment,

0:11:36.822,0:11:37.869
and they actually are.

0:11:38.499,0:11:41.620
If you want to make sure[br]the whole supply chain is sustainable,

0:11:41.620,0:11:43.007
there are many smaller brands

0:11:43.007,0:11:45.817
that can account for every step[br]of their production process.

0:11:47.825,0:11:50.259
And buying seasonless[br]instead of trendy clothing

0:11:50.259,0:11:53.092
means it won’t go out of fashion[br]and end up in the trash.

0:11:53.676,0:11:55.642
Because this is a rare industry

0:11:55.642,0:11:58.613
where consumers actually[br]have a real influence.

0:12:00.270,0:12:02.029
JL: When I look at the whole picture,

0:12:02.029,0:12:07.009
I realize maybe only end consumer[br]is the power [that] can balance brands

0:12:07.009,0:12:09.195
and can push them,

0:12:09.195,0:12:13.362
give them pressure to make some changes.

0:12:14.107,0:12:17.954
N: So ask yourself not only who made[br]your clothes and what they are made of,

0:12:17.954,0:12:20.366
but also, "Do I need these new clothes?"

0:12:20.676,0:12:22.258
And go from there instead.

0:12:23.599,0:12:25.693
And if you want to see[br]more videos like this,

0:12:25.693,0:12:27.970
we post about environmental[br]topics every Friday.

0:12:28.060,0:12:30.010
Like and subscribe so you don’t miss out.

0:12:30.010,0:12:31.673
Subtitles by Maurício Kakuei Tanaka