We are living in a climate emergency and the fashion & textiles sector is one of the most polluting and wasteful industries. The industry continues to lack transparency, with widespread exploitation of people working in the supply chain. Never before have there been this many people on the planet in slavery, and fashion is a key driver of this reality. Brands and retailers are still not taking enough responsibility for the pay and working conditions in their factories, the environmental impacts of the materials they use or how the products they make affect the health of people, animals and our living planet.

75 million people work directly in the fashion and textiles industry, about 80% of them are women. Many are subject to exploitation, verbal and physical abuse, working in unsafe conditions, with very little pay. There are 25mil people working today as modern slaves, 1 out of 4 are children, the average age of enslavement is 12 years old. Fashion is the second industry in modern slavery.

The environmental and social cost of the clothing and textile industry has increased dramatically in recent years and is expected to continue this linear course in the future. Clothing production follows numerous stages before reaching the stores (cotton crops, farming, spinning of yarn, dyeing of fabrics, sewing, packaging, forwarding, air emissions from various stages of the supply chain, end user). The true environmental and social cost is high. Still, certain brands now sell their clothes for as little as a cup of coffee.

Our clothes are made from materials and processes that require the extraction of natural, non-renewable resources and produce considerable negative environmental impacts. Polyester represents around 60% of global fibre production, is a common plastic and is made of crude oil. When we wash clothes made from synthetic fibres like polyester, they shed thousands of microplastics into our waterways, potentially harming human health and biodiversity. Clothes and textiles are the No1 source of primary microplastic to the oceans accounting for 34,8% of the global total. At a global level, clothing and footwear account for 10% on the world’s greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) annually and for 20% of global wastewater. Fashion emits more Greenhouse gases than international flights and maritime combined.

Global fashion consumption continues to gain speed at unsustainable levels and relies on a culture of disposability. Around the world, we produce too much clothing, from unsustainable materials, much of which ends up incinerated or in landfill. In order to combat the climate crisis and protect precious natural resources, we must rethink consumption-as-usual. We must rethink the entire system, moving from a model built on overconsumption and disposability to one that is circular, where materials and products can be used for much longer. We must embrace new ways of enjoying clothes such as sharing and swapping. We consume 60% more than we did 14 years ago and we keep them half of the time we did. 40% of our clothes are never worn. Every second, one truck full of textiles is landfilled or incinerated. Garment sales are moving inversely with garment utilization, yet the fashion industry generates $2.4 trillion every year. 

The fashion industry is the second largest polluter in the world after the oil industry. 

According to the Ethical Trading Initiative, 71% of fashion companies indicate there is a ‘likelihood of modern slavery occurring at some stage of their supply chain. This is a $30 billion industry, fueled by a lack of transparency in unregulated production and illegal work practices. Slavery in the fashion world can appear in a variety of forms from harvesting the cotton for a t-shirt, spinning the fiber to yarn, sewing the garment, and modeling the final product. The difference between slavery and extremely exploitative labor can be vague and the fashion industry walks this fine line.

Employment positions created

We created employment positions for 43 beneficiaries remunerated by living wages corresponding to 50% more than minimum wages.

In 2020 SOFFA collaborates with 5 monthly contractors and 14 volunteers.

Zero Waste

We implement zero-waste manufacturing processes. We work on order-based rather than bulk productions, to avoid creating stock.

We upcycle all its waste, turning it into clothes and accessories like shopping bags, backpacks and wallets. It also collects industrial waste and household clothing waste.

SDG number 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth

“Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all”

 Achieving higher productivity will require diversification and upgraded technology along with innovation, entrepreneurship, and the growth of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The target for 2020 is to reduce youth unemployment and operationalize a global strategy for youth employment.

SDG number 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production

“Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.”

The targets of Goal 12 include using eco-friendly production methods and reducing the amount of waste. By 2030, national recycling rates should increase, as measured in tons of material recycled. Further, companies should adopt sustainable practices and publish sustainability reports.