Study claims fashion industry taking steps to reduce plastic use

A new study with 100 senior executives who work for fashion brands and retailers in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia claims 88 percent of respondents plan to stop using plastic in packaging altogether, while 8 percent plan to abolish plastic within the next 12 months.

The study, conducted by United Kingdom-based biodegradable polymer developer Aquapak Polymers Ltd. in November 2023, says 14 percent of respondents plan to eliminate the use of plastic in their packaging within one to two years, while 19 percent plan to do the same within two to three years, 30 percent will do so within three to four years and 28 percent will do so within four to five years.

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Almost half (48 percent) of those surveyed say they are extremely concerned about their business’ use of polybags such as carrier and garment bags, the majority of which are used for merchandise bought online, and the damage they cause to the environment. Aquapak cites data collected by global platform Fashion for Good, which says the fashion industry uses around 180 billion polybags every year.

The report reveals that plastic use ranks third in the top factors impacting the environmental performance of the businesses of those surveyed, with only the energy efficiency of operations and the sourcing of merchandise utilizing sustainable materials rated as more important.

The research also claims that of the steps taken to reduce the amount of plastic packaging used, 77 percent of respondents have folded items differently, 59 percent have removed unnecessary types of packaging and 46 percent have changed the packaging type.

To help reduce plastic packaging pollution, Aquapak has developed Hydropol, a polymer that is soluble and nontoxic to marine life. Hydropol can be used as an alternative to conventional plastic in a wide variety of applications, the company says, providing the same functionality and performance without the associated environmental issues. It is currently used to make products such as garment bags, offering similar features to traditional polybags such as strength and puncture resistance, clarity of film and protection from leakages and dirt.

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Aquapak says Hydropol garment bags can be disposed of in existing domestic waste streams without contaminating other recyclable products or can be dissolved immediately in hot water at home without producing microplastics. The bags also are compostable.

“Our study shows that there is a commitment at the highest level in the fashion industry to stop using plastic,” Aquapak CEO Mark Lapping says. “Brands and retailers are already taking steps to reduce their dependency on plastic packaging, but the pace of change could be much faster. New materials exist which perform in exactly the same way as plastic, providing garment and merchandise protection, but do not have any of the environmental problems associated with it.”