Sustainable Fashion: What Will the Apparel Industry Look Like by 2030?

What Will the Apparel Industry Look Like by 2030? As kids, we envisioned the year 2030 to include flying cars and life on Mars. While our reality looks a little different, we are embracing lifestyle changes—especially in our clothing choices—to support the health of our very own planet. As we approach the midpoint of a decade that once seemed like a sci-fi fantasy, there are many promising developments around how clothing manufacturers and consumers can help curb carbon emissions, conserve water, and keep textile waste out of landfills. Read on for an overview of seven research-backed predictions for where the industry will be in just five years.

Prediction 1: Climate change will spur exponential growth in the sustainable fashion industry. As climate change brings more extreme weather events, the fashion industry will double down on environmental, social, and governance issues. A recent survey from McKinsey and Company found that industry executives say ESG will be their number one priority and challenge in the years ahead.
As execs take climate risks more seriously, the global market for sustainable fashion is expected to reach more than $33 billion by 2030, up from $7.8 billion today, according to a new report from Coherent Market Insights. This growth will be driven by consumer demand for sustainable fashion alongside regulatory pressures that prompt apparel manufacturers to integrate more sustainable business practices into their supply chains. Sustainable Fashion Forum predicts that brands will move beyond limited-time collections dedicated to sustainable fabrics and form robust long-term partnerships with material innovators, giving sustainable styles a more permanent home in the retail space.   

Prediction 2: Fiber-to-fiber recycling will capture $1.5 billion from textile waste each year. The textile industry is increasingly focused on fiber-to-fiber recycling—breaking down excess and end-of-life textiles into fiber that can be used to make new garments—as a vehicle for transitioning to a circular economy.
Fashion for Good’s new Sorting for Circularity USA Project found that up to 56% of textiles that end up in the trash are suitable for fiber-to-fiber recycling. The research estimates that capturing textile waste destined for landfills and incinerators and channeling it into fiber-to-fiber recycling applications can generate $1.5 billion in value per year.
Around the world, the textile recycling market is expected to reach $6.13 billion by 2030, up from $4.35 billion today, according to a recent forecast. Cotton is expected to dominate the textile recycling market, with mechanical recycling outpacing chemical recycling as the most widely use separation process.

Prediction 3: Products will be designed with circularity in mind.  The Ellen MacArthur Foundation has become a beacon for brands and sustainability professionals working to join the circular economy. The organization has a vision for how the fashion industry can redesign the way clothes are made and used. In a circular economy, the use of finite resources is drastically reduced when apparel is:

• Used more. Products are designed to last. They are kept at their highest value through rental and recommerce business models, helping to reduce overproduction across the industry.
• Made to be made again. Products are designed to be disassembled so they can be recycled into new products.
• Made from safe and recyclable inputs. Products are free from materials that are hazardous to people and the environment, and production processes optimize the use of water, energy, chemicals, and materials.

Related: Designing for Circularity: Where Brands Can Start

Both Sustainable Fashion Forum and the Global Fashion Agenda’s 2030 Fashion Section Vision predict that circular systems will open up new revenue streams for apparel brands, as long as marketing messages champion circular models over traditional models. For example, instead of incentivizing new purchases, brands can shift consumer messaging to highlight repair and maintenance services and focus on building long-term brand loyalty with customers through these offerings.

Prediction 4: The fashion industry will commit to better wages and working conditions. Last year, the FABRIC Act was reintroduced in the U.S. Senate. It aims to protect garment workers’ rights, encourage domestic manufacturing, and hold brands accountable for the labor practices of their manufacturing partners. If the legislation is passed, it could pave the way for similar bills and potentially lead to a shift in global policy, with more governments stepping up to protect garment workers.

As labor advocates push for systematic change in the fashion industry, Sustainable Fashion Forum predicts that brands will use their leverage to help garment workers facing power imbalances, wage issues, and violent working conditions. Similarly, Global Fashion Agenda anticipates that by 2030, the industry will adopt global standards around fair compensation, human rights, and access to effective grievance mechanisms for garment workers.

Prediction 5: Materials will be more sustainable and responsibly sourced. As brands move away from environmentally taxing materials like fossil-fuel-based chemicals and bovine leather, items like sandals, swimwear, and handbags could soon be accompanied by new origin stories.

Ambassadors from the European Climate Pact predict that leather alternatives made from cactus, apples, and pineapple will be widely available and affordable by 2030. They also see polyester being made from recycled plastics versus raw materials. Global Fashion Agenda predicts that by 2030, cotton, polyester, man-made cellulosic fiber, and sheep’s wool will be responsibly sourced from “preferred” raw materials providers and an increasing amount of material will be recycled or regenerative.

Prediction 6: Greenwashing will get some guardrails. In recent years, apparel brands have faced lawsuits for their misleading marketing messages around sustainability, highlighting the need for some guidelines around substantiating environmental claims.  

In the coming years, stricter regulations will likely emerge to combat greenwashing. They may include standardized definitions of environmental terms and more verifiable data  about products’ social and environmental impact. As consumers become more aware of the impact their fashion purchases have on the environment, they will demand greater transparency and accountability from their favorite brands.

Prediction 7: Transparency will go digital.  As AI-powered technologies are embedded into our everyday lives, new tools will help consumers join the circular economy. For example, digital sampling gives shoppers a way to try on clothing virtually, helping them eliminate some of the guesswork that comes with online shopping and reducing the amount of clothing that ends up in landfills. Other apps will help consumers find nearby clothing rental and repair services.

Digital Product Passports (DPPs) will also gain traction, according to Sustainable Fashion Forum. Driven by EU legislation, DPPs help brands trace products from creation to end-of-life, improving supply chain efficiency and transparency. The QR codes also provide consumers with detailed information about an item’s environmental and social impact, empowering them to make purchase decisions that align with their values. Lastly, DPPs hold information about a garment’s recyclability and repairability, which can help extend its life for decades to come.

Be a part of this vision! Research paints a rosy picture of what the fashion industry will look like in five years, but we won’t achieve this vision without coordination among brands, manufacturers, recyclers, public educators, advocacy groups, and policymakers. At Looptworks, we’re ready to get to work. Reach out to learn about our fiber-to-fiber recycling capabilities and how partnering with us can help your organization join the circular economy.