Sustainability Pulse #115
Sustainability Trends & News Worth Exploring — July 1, 2025
In case anyone still thought fashion’s waste crisis was a distant problem, Chile’s Atacama Desert just made it painfully clear. Mountains of unsold clothing, from cheap fast fashion to last season’s uniforms, are now so large they’re reshaping landscapes.
But this month, Chile announced a landmark cleanup plan that could set a precedent for holding brands accountable.
Meanwhile, Europe is tightening its grip on fashion’s footprint, with new science-based rules to measure clothing’s true environmental impact and fresh laws targeting ultra-fast fashion.
In Washington, legislators from both parties are backing secondhand shopping, hoping to slow the churn from new to landfill.
Behind it all, deeper questions are surfacing: Can textile-to-textile recycling finally work at scale? Will ‘clean fashion’ survive once PFAS bans become law?
And why are so many fast-fashion giants scrambling for last-minute climate credibility?
This week’s stories reveal a sector at a crossroads, between empty promises and real, systemic change.
Let’s dive in.
Chile targets fast fashion waste with landmark desert cleanup plan
Piles of garments stretch into the distance: consignments of nursing uniforms, shipments of shoes, bundles of work overalls and last season's fast fashion discards, high street tags still attached.
Bipartisan Legislators Want More People to Shop Secondhand
A Capitol Hill group is launching a sustainability caucus to boost companies like eBay and Depop as fast-fashion creates mountains of waste
New EU rules for measuring environmental impact of clothes and shoes
The new measures introduce a science-based method to assess a product's environmental impact across its entire lifecycle.
French Senate backs law to curb ultra fast-fashion
An amended version of the bill distinguishes between "ultra" fast fashion and "classic" fast fashion, however, imposingless onerous restrictions on European fast-fashion players like Zara and Kiabi, but drawing criticism from environmental groups.
Is textile-to-textile polyester recycling ready to scale?
A new partnership between Gap and Syre, an H&M-backed recycling firm, could change the life cycle of one of fashion's most pervasive synthetic materials. But don't forget, recycled polyester is still plastic.
Can 'clean fashion' perform?
As the EU gears up to ban PFAS (durable "forever chemicals") by 2026, brands like Patagonia and Fjällräven are phasing them out in favor of safer materials. The "clean‑fashion" movement is reshaping product design toward health and environmental integrity
Read More (Under Paywall)
Buoyed by legislation, Sojo expands into Paris
When repair and alterations platform Sojo decided to launch its first location outside of the UK, radical policy support for sustainable fashion made France a prime contender.
Why Textile Exchange is rethinking its approach
With just five years to go until the 2030 Paris Climate Agreement deadline, Textile Exchange wants its work with the fashion industry to go 'faster and deeper'. CEO Claire Bergkamp shares all.
The best sustainable online shopping platforms for ethical luxury
If you're looking for upmarket eco-friendly clothes and interiors, three new websites are aiming to do the hard work for you
Watch: Swapping fast fashion for sustainable alternatives
A social enterprise in Dublin city centre is providing a way for people to update their wardrobes in a cost-effective and sustainable way - swapping with others instead of turning to fast fashion.
The paradox of ethical fashion
Sustainability has become a buzzword in fashion in recent years, and for good reason.
Nobody's Child expands into resale with eBay and Reskinned
British womenswear brand Nobody's Child is expanding into resale exclusively on eBay, after launching a clothing take-back scheme in partnership with Reskinned, the resale, repair and recycling company in January.
Retail Woes: A Fashion & Retail Bankruptcy Tracker
Typically, a company that has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy trying to stay in business, and as indicated below, this complex proceeding can be very effective in solving short term business problems in an otherwise viable company or winding down a company with valuable assets.
Is this the future of fashion?
Anna Wintour steps down as Vogue editor-in-chief, but will retain control of storied magazine
Kalki Fashion: Sustainable Ethnic Wear at its Finest
On the verge of becoming a global leader in sustainable ethnic wear with the support of the IP System
National Wool Museum celebrates innovation with winners of Sustainable Fashion Prize 2025
Designer of the Year has been awarded to UNBOUND by SHIYO, created by Shiva Yousefpour. This $10,000 acquisitive prize highlights outstanding design with a commitment to sustainability.
"It's Imperative We Reimagine Fashion": Cate Blanchett Flies The Flag For Sustainability (Once Again)
Cate Blanchett is known for championing sustainable fashion on the red carpet, from repeat wearing dresses to upcycling past Oscars looks. Now, the actor has taken her commitment one step further by visiting eco-friendly dye start-up, Colorifix, alongside Prince William, in Norwich today.
Mango Advances in Sustainability with Circulose Partnership to Boost Textile Circularity
Mango becomes the first brand to commit with Swedish circular material company Circulose, since its restart, to integrate the next generation material made from recycled textiles into its production chain.
Why I Stopped Buying Sustainable Fashion — And Was Forced to Choose Fast Fashion
When I first started my sustainable fashion journey, I didn't realize how much it would cost me. A simple organic cotton t-shirt from a sustainable brand costs around $45-60, while a comparable fast fashion piece sells for $8-12.
Morphew: Where Vintage Charm Meets Sustainable Luxury In Fashion
Morphew is redefining luxury through sustainability and uniqueness. The brand, which has a storefront in Southampton, has captured the essence of vintage, transforming materials into extraordinary pieces that tell a story. We spoke with Bridgette Morphew, the visionary behind the company, to explore the original spark that ignited this brand and the evolution of its distinct aesthetic.
MIU MIU'S UPCYCLED CAPSULE IS REWRITING THE FASHION RULE BOOK
Bringing new life to pre-loved garments, giving them a modern twist
In brief: Impact Bridge invests €7m in sustainable fashion brand
Impact Bridge has invested in Ecoalf, which is focused on advancing responsible textile innovation and circular design. Additionally, Rival Foods raises €10m in a Series B funding round to further scale its production capacity. The Start Foundation invests in Roetz Bikes.
Fast fashion is trying an Earth-friendly makeover. Is it real?
Here's what fast fashion brands are doing to be more sustainable, what may be motivating those efforts and how to avoid getting fooled by greenwashing.
Seaweed silk and apple leather: Hong Kong fashion brands writing sustainable fashion's future
Here are six Hong Kong fashion brands incorporating next-generation materials into their designs to address environmental concerns and promote sustainable fashion.
Threads That Bind: Sustainability And Business
In the second part of their dialogue with Verve, Somya Lochan of Quarter — who has recently branched out into womenswear — and Eka’s Rina Singh talk about their business plans, retail footprints and relationship with sustainability…
FASHION FOR GOOD URGES BRANDS TO RETHINK DENIM MATERIALS AND PROCESSES
In the article, Fashion for Good challenges brands and suppliers to rethink materials and how it processes denim, particularly the dyeing and garment finishing phases.
LAUNDRE PREPARES TO OPEN LONDON’S FIRST TECH-DRIVEN DENIM LAUNDRY
LaundRE, the London-based, tech-driven laundry committed to reducing waste, is getting ready to flip the switch andlaunch. Founded by CEO Salli Deighton, the Docklands facility aims to provide U.K. brands with a local solution for small-batch laundry and finishing powered by laser, ozone and nebulization technologies.
NEW REPORT: DECOUPLING GROWTH FROM VOLUME IN FASHION’S WASTE CRISIS
Part of the issue, according to the report, is an outdated metric of success and correlation between business and year-over-year growth. Degrowth—or a planned reduction in production volumes—is the most impactful step the apparel industry can take toward reducing waste. However, the term has negative business connotations even though it does not mean a sales downturn.
Faux Real: How the Faux Fur Revival Reveals Fashion’s Fractured Relationship With Sustainability
It’s 2025 and fashion is well aware of the ethical and environmental issues with both real and faux fur. So why are these materials back on the runways? As J’Nae Phillips, cultural analyst and founder of the Fashion Tingz newsletter, writes, the revival represents the friction between image and impact that goes hand in hand with the industry’s incessant trend cycles.
Garment District Rally Held to Challenge Midtown South Rezoning Plan
Approximately 150 people gathered in the Garment District to support the preservation of local fashion and theater jobs. Steven Kolb, CEO of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, along with designers Yeohlee Teng and Bach Mai, voiced their opposition to the proposed mixed-use plan.
The project, needing City Council approval, would extend from West 23rd to West 40th Streets and from Fifth to Eighth Avenues. If approved, it would mark the introduction of mandatory inclusionary housing in Midtown and support the goals of Mayor Eric Adams' "City of Yes" initiative, promoting flexible rules for office conversions and creating high-density residential districts.
Moncler Recognized as Fashion’s Global Sustainability Leader in New Report
The Italian outdoor fashion company also ranks first among Italian companies in the ranking of ‘The World’s Most Sustainable Companies 2025’, a ranking compiled by Statista and Time.
Digital, Distrustful, Demanding: The Post-Covid Consumer Profile Emerges
Social media is the least trusted source consumers rely on when shopping, even though it is highly influential. Spending is more impulsive among younger generations, according to McKinsey.
Customers are ditching Shein and Temu. Can Amazon win them over?
Third-party sellers that fulfill orders through the e-commerce giant’s network may stand to gain as the fast fashion giants face heightened tariffs.
‘False solutions’ undermine climate goals at Shein, Lululemon
Five fashion companies strengthened their emission reduction targets but lacked a convincing plan for achieving them, according to NewClimate Institute.
Nepal: The Front Line of the Fast Fashion Crisis
Nepal is being swamped with new clothes and footwear, not all of which are legally imported and because they are so cheap are worn a few times before being thrown away.
“Ready-made garments are coming into Nepal – with the biggest portion coming from China, the second biggest portion is coming from India” says Bhim Kumari Giri, General Secretary of the Garment Association.
The Ugly Side Effect of #BeautyTok
The rise of #BeautyTok and the ever-increasing popularity of once-niche aesthetic treatments via the social media platform’s influencer economy are leading to a massive increase in copycat purchases.
As new discoveries are made, there are products, treatments and procedures for every insecurity a person might have. These are only amplified by social media, increasing demand, supply and irrefutable damage to the planet and the animals who call it home.
Podcast: Scaling strategies for sustainable growth
Host of the "The Fashion Brand Clinic Podcast," Elizabeth Stiles, welcomes listeners back for Season 3 and announces the podcast is now also available on YouTube. This solo episode will explore the critical mindset adjustments and strategic pivots necessary for fashion brands that have reached six figures and are prepared to scale sustainably, while avoiding burnout.
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