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LITERATURE REVIEW
Literature Review
The True Cost Behind the Denim Industry
KG601 Research & Critical Analysis
Dr. Donna Tennyson
Article One: Dishing up Diverse Issues of Ethics in the Fashion Industry
Review of the Literature
The following pages include a review of the literature related to ethical issues happening in the fashion industry and how fashion theorists and practitioners have been producing alternatives to deal with unsustainable fashion practices. This literature not only focuses on sustainability but also talks about issues of materiality and equity of the production process.
Documentation
This literature used for this study was obtained from Google Scholar and additional information was collected from peer reviewed journals, industrial articles and books. Due to the pandemic, information was collected online using various search engines, like Google, Bing and Baidu, or through Google Scholar website.
Discussion
This literature conducted qualitative research to interview or quote experts’ statements or findings in the fashion industry. Since the article described ethical issues from multiple perspectives, like material’s sustainability, supply chain’s equity, labor shortage and overtime workload, excellent alternative sources of information are given throughout the journal for readers to learn more general background on “ethical fashion” (Marosszèky, 2014).
This journal contains contributions that start to elaborate on the numerous and frequently obvious ethical transgressions built into current consumption of fashions: activism-oriented case studies, analyses of consumer perception, critiques on the abuse of animals for fashions, and the psychological issues of fetishizing a materially ideological ageist industry dependent on a high turnover of exclusivity (Marosszèky, 2014). Among those ethical transgressions, theorists and practitioners embraced opposing viewpoints on abuse of animals for fashions. Theorists pointed out there are tons of alternative materials to produce fabrics, producers do not need to abuse animal’s fur. While practitioners brought up the idea of customer-centric strategy that scarcity drives desire and designers have to produce clothes based on customers’ demand. These opinions help readers think from diverse perspectives and realize the dilemma in the fashion industry.
Conclusion
Since the early 1990s, some fashion theorists and practitioners have come up with alternative suggestions to unsustainable issues in the fashion industry (Marosszèky, 2014). But seldom do literature dedicate to unpack such difficult topics. With the discussion between theorists and practitioners, this journal unpacked the controversial topics about ethical transgressions and why the problems have not been solved for decades. Regrettably, at the end of the article, theorists and practitioners are not able to come up with doable, short-term solutions to strike the balance and ease the ethical problems.
Article Two: Modelling environmental value An examination of sustainable
Review of Literature
The objective of the literature review is to develop a deeper understanding of the environmental impact of the fashion industry. The business models of enterprises in the global fashion industry create a negative outcome for the environment. The fashion industry consumes a significant amount of water which causes environmental degradation (Pal & Gander, 2018). The fashion industry is also one of the key contributors to pollution due to the chemical treatment of fabric and waste disposal. The development of a sustainable business model is crucial to reduce the negative effects. The current literature review focuses on analyzing the environmental value of different sustainable business models in the fashion industry.
Documentation
The article is found by searching online databases. It is published in the journal of cleaner production. The article was identified by searching the online databases using keywords such as fashion industry, sustainable business models, and environmental impacts. Different keywords are combined using Boolean operators “And,” and “Or” to obtain a filtered result (Pal & Gander, 2018). The selected articles were analyzed in three stages. In the first stage to retrieve the results were analyzed based on the title. In the next stage, the abstracts of the articles were analyzed, and the relevant ones were kept for analysis in the next stage. In the next stage, the entire article articles are analyzed and the most relevant one was selected. The findings are used for developing ethical and unethical aspects related to the environmental impacts in the fashion industry.
Literature Review Discussion
The lack of sustainability is making fashion organizations unethical. The industry can promote sustainability to operate ethically. Sustainability in the fashion industry can be promoted in various ways. Narrowing the energy and materials is one of the techniques that can be used for reducing the negative environmental impact in the fashion industry (Pal & Gander, 2018). Organizations can use technology such as low carbon sources and lean management practices for reducing the amount of waste. Slowing waste generation is another technique for promoting sustainability in the fashion industry. Organizations in this industry can use durable products to reduce the amount of waste. Recycling is an effective technique to reduce the amount of wastage. In the fashion industry, only 20% of the materials are recycled and the rest is used for landfilling (Pal & Gander, 2018). The organizations also promote collaborative consumption to improve the product life cycle and increase the proportion of recycled materials.
Pal & Gander, (2018) indicated that the fashion industry is one of the sectors that need adapting sustainable business models. According to the European Environmental Agency, the fashion industry is ranked as one of the largest contributors of pollutants to the environment (Pal & Gander, 2018). The rapid growth of the fashion industry is increasing the growth of the environmental cost in terms of water usage, chemical treatment and disposal. The lack of recycling in the fashion industry is worsening the issue. The use of sustainable business models is effective to reduce the environmental impact.
Conclusion
As evident from the literature review, organizations in the fashion industry are being unethical due to the consumption of water and energy. The organizations in this industry can be more ethical by adopting sustainable business models. Sustainable business models can be based on the use of clean energy, collaborative consumption, and delaying waste generation. Organizations can implement lean management practices to reduce waste and enhance sustainability.
Article Three: Quantifying environmental sustainability of denim garments washing factories through effluent analysis: A case study in Bangladesh. Journal of Cleaner Production
Review of the Literature
The following pages contain a review of the literature (Shamsuzzaman et al., 2021) related to the environmental sustainability of denim garments washing factories in Bangladesh. The environmental impact of the denim industry has been a key ethical concern of the fashion industry in general. This literature review focuses on reviewing the evidence presented by a case study in Bangladesh, where quantitative data has been collected to show the environmental impact of the industrial garment washing process.
Documentation
The scholarly literature used for this study was obtained from the Elsevier database via Google Scholar. The literature is a peer-reviewed journal article published in the Journal of Cleaner Production. The authors of this article are scholars and experts in the field of material science and textile industry in the universities in Bangladesh and the UK.
Discussion
The literature used for this study has quantified the environmental impacts of the denim garments washing factories in Bangladesh. Through the analyses of multiple effluent samples collected from five denim washing factories, results have shown that less than half of the factories produced clear wastewater that fits into the acceptable industrial standard. The evidence presented contributes to an unethical position of the denim industry overall. Other research on the negative environmental impacts and health hazards of denim waste also supports this unethical claim (Periyasamy and Militky, 2017). Overall, the literature is written by established experts in the field while supported with solid empirical research based on quantitative data. However, the authors’ perspective is concentrated on the unethical considerations of the denim industry, while opposing studies and viewpoints are not considered. Despite this, the selected source has provided an in-depth understanding of the complexity of environmental impacts of the denim industry.
Conclusion
In summary, this literature has provided empirical evidence on the environmental impacts of the denim washing factories in Bangladesh. The authors are credentialed experts of the field, and the source has been published in a peer-reviewed journal. The source has supported the unethical claim of the denim industry overall.
Article Four: The environmental price of fast fashion
Review of the Literature
The following pages contain a review of the literature (Niinimäki et al., 2020) related to the environmental issues that the fast fashion industry has cost. Being the second largest industrial polluter after aeronautics, the fast fashion industry continues to grow over the years due to the strong market demand on low cost fast fashion from consumers. This literature review focuses on reviewing the true cost behind the glitz and glamour of the fashion industry, especially in the manufacturing and production process.
Documentation
The scholarly literature used for this study was obtained from the nature.com database via ResearchGate. The literature is a peer-reviewed journal article published in the nature reviews earth & environment section. The authors of this article are a group of industry experts and academic leaders in the business and environmental field.
Discussion
The literature used for this study concludes with an in-depth research of the environmental impact caused by the fast fashion industry, insights of the needed actions to change and improve the industry status quo, and the ideal slower future of the fashion industry. Through the thorough analysis of the global garment-manufacturing supply chain, the authors identified the environmental damages at condemning points in the textile and fashion industry life cycle, from production to consumption, focusing on sourcing, water use, chemical contamination, carbon footprint and textile expenditure. Overall, this journal article is written by established experts in the field while supported with extensive research based on quantitative and qualitative data. The selected source has provided comprehensive insights of the environmental impacts of fast fashion.
Conclusion
In summary, this journal article has provided comprehensive insights of the environmental impacts of fast fashion. The authors are credentialed experts of the field, and the source has been published in a peer-reviewed journal. The source has provided a deep understanding of the environmental issues caused by the fast fashion industry, outlined the need for fundamental changes in the fashion business model, as well as a desired future shift in consumer behavior, in order to improve the long-term sustainability of the fashion supply-chain (Perry, 2020).
Article Five: Virtual carbon and water flows embodied in global fashion trade-a case study of denim products
Review of the Literature
This case study explored virtual carbon and water footprints in the life cycle of denim products, considering environmental emission factors and global trade. Globalization and fragmentation of Denim industry has led to uneven environmental impacts. This literature review focuses on reviewing the virtual carbon and water footprints within the context of globalization.
Documentation
The scholarly literature used for this study was obtained from the Elsevier database. The article is a peer-reviewed journal article published in the Journal of Cleaner Production in April of 2021. The first author of this article works for the Key Laboratory of City Cluster Environmental Safety and Green Development, Ministry of Education, Institute of Environmental and Ecological Engineering. The remaining authors are scholars from University College London, Norweigian University of Science and Technology, University of Groningen, Tsinghua University respectively. All of the authors are regarded as credentialed experts in the area of clean production.
Discussion
The literature used for this study concludes with a comprehensive analysis of the carbon and water footprint in the denim industry, covering the raw material extraction, processing, transportation, and manufacturing of denim. Section 2 of this article describes embodied flow accounting framework, and assessing environmental emission factor of denim products with life cycle assessment method. The carbon and water footprint of the denim products are calculated by “multiplying the bilateral trade flows of denim products by the emission factors of each denim product in the exporting country/region” (Chapagain et al., 2006; Hoekstra and Mekonnen, 2012; Sato 2014). Overall, this journal article is written by established experts in the field while supported with extensive research based on quantitative and qualitative data. The selected source has supported the authors’ analysis of carbon and water footprint. Based on the analysis, authors also made suggestions for a more sustainable model of the denim industry and the limitation was also reflected in section five of this article.
Conclusion
In summary, this journal article has provided an empirical study of virtual carbon and water footprints in Denim industry within the context of globalization. The authors are credentialed experts of the field, and the source has been published in a peer-reviewed journal. This case study has demonstrated virtual carbon and water embodied in global denim trade, and on a national or regional level.
Reference
Chapagain, A.K., Hoekstra, A.Y., Savenije, H.H.G., Gautam, R., 2006. The water footprint of
cotton consumption: an assessment of the impact of worldwide consumption of cotton
products on the water resources in the cotton producing countries. Ecol. Econ. 60 (1),
186e203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2005.11.027
Marosszèky, A. (2014). Journal Review: Dishing up Diverse Issues of Ethics
in the Fashion Industry. Fashion Theory: The Journal of Dress, Body & Culture, 18(3),
361–364. https://doi.org/10.2752/175174114X13938552557961
Niinimäki, K., Peters, G., Dahlbo, H., Perry, P., Rissanen, T., & Gwilt, A. (2020, April 7). The environmental price of fast fashion. Nature News. https://www.nature.com/articles/s43017-020-0039-9.
Pal, R., & Gander, J. (2018). Modelling environmental value: An examination of sustainable business models within the fashion industry. Journal of Cleaner Production, 184, 251-263. http://eprints.kingston.ac.uk/40691/1/Gander-J-40691-AAM.pdf
Periyasamy, A. P., & Militky, J. (2017). Denim processing and health hazards. In Sustainability in denim (pp. 161-196). Woodhead Publishing.
Perry, P. (2020, April). (PDF) The environmental price of fast fashion. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/340635670_The_environmental_price_of_fast_fashion
Shamsuzzaman, M., Kashem, M. A., Sayem, A. S. M., Khan, A. M., Shamsuddin, S. M., & Islam, M. M. (2021). Quantifying environmental sustainability of denim garments washing factories through effluent analysis: A case study in Bangladesh. Journal of Cleaner Production, 290, 125740.
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