Sustainability Issues and Approaches in Fashion Supply Chains

Abstract

As the fashion industry grows in size and volume in terms of global production, sustainability issues arise in managing fashion supply chains. This thesis project explores the nature of today's modern fashion supply chain and the environmental and social issues associated with its processes. As consumer demand related to sustainable practices rises, fashion businesses are continuing to innovate in many ways to adopt more environmentally and socially conscious supply chains. Various literature analyzing certain strategies to increase sustainability in fashion supply chains are examined and discussed. Several interviews with fashion supply chain professionals are also conducted in order to gain more insight into the movement of the fashion industry towards sustainability. Through three main strategies, this paper builds a model for how fashion supply chains can continue to be fast, while also integrating sustainable business practices.