ASOS takes big step into sustainable shopping

Fast fashion retailers have come under fire over the past couple of years.

Big e-commerce stores like ASOS have been questioned over what they’re doing to reduce their carbon footprint and make their practices more sustainable.

The convenience of next-day deliveries is why people are so tied into fast-fashion retailers, but calls for the big players to step up have been getting louder and louder.

Luckily, ASOS has heard us loud and clear.

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In 2019, the brand added a sustainability filter to its website, giving shoppers the option to purchase only sustainable brands.

This included brands using vegan-friendly materials and recycled activewear collections.

Now, its recyclable mailing and garment bags are now being trialled out. This comes after ASOS joined the Global Plastic Pact in 2019, committing to creating reusable bags.

The new bags are made from 65% recycled materials rather than their current 25%. This means they’re 100% recyclable.

It also means that if you send your products back, the bags will be recycled and reused to cut down on single use plastic.

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Last year, the brand sent out 72 million orders.

With statistics like that, it’s easy to see how fast fashion is having a pretty terrible effect on the environment.

Because of this, ASOS has pledged that by 2025 all of its plastic will be fully reusable, recyclable or compostable.

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Sustainability has been at the forefront of everybody’s minds lately - and not just in the fashion industry.

Dubbed “The Greta Effect”, trends set to be big in the next decade are all centred around reducing plastic.

On the parenting front, we’ll see a move away from plastic toys towards wooden ones. We’ll also see plastic being removed from key parenting essentials, like nappies and bathing products.

Big fashion brands will also have to be careful about the rise in clothes rental services popping up.

Carrie Symonds currently pays £10 per month to rent clothes out for big events, a trend we’ll likely be seeing more on over the next few years.

Fashion heavyweights like H&M are already trialling clothes rental services to up the sustainability game.

It’ll start by trialling the service at its flagship Sergels Torg store is Stockholm when it reopens after refurbishment. It will also offer people the chance to have their clothes mended or upgraded with a dedicated repair service and a separate beauty bar.

It remains to be seen whether this will be rolled out worldwide - and whether or not the likes of ASOS and other fashion brands will follow suit.

One thing’s for sure: the fashion industry is finally waking up to environmental issues.

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