New report exposes extent of fashion industry’s reliance on fossil fuel-based synthetics (North America)

The world’s biggest fashion brands are fuelling the plastic pollution and climate crisis through continued reliance on synthetic fibres made from fossil fuels, finds a new report by Changing Markets.

The report, entitled Synthetics Anonymous: Fashion brands’ addition to fossil fuels, assessed 46 of the world’s supposedly most transparent brands, from high street to luxury, including Lululemon, Patagonia, The North Face, Gap and Nike on the amount of fossil fuel based materials in their collections and commitments to move away from them.

It finds that most brands are aiming to deal with the fossil fashion problem by replacing virgin polyester with downcycled single-use plastic bottles, a false solution because it is a one-way street to landfill or incineration.