Despite growing interest, biodegradable materials like mycelium leather face challenges in significantly reducing fashion waste due to scalability and overproduction issues.
The fashion industry generates an estimated 92 million tons of waste annually, largely from polyester and cotton fabrics.
Innovative materials like mycelium leather are being developed but struggle to scale up due to financial and production challenges.
Experts argue that reducing overall production is essential to addressing the environmental impact of fashion.
Key quote:
“I genuinely think the biggest solution isn’t the easy one because it’s the one that requires these large fashion companies to make significantly less money. It’s just to make less stuff and to pay more for that stuff and to look after what we have.”
— Monica Buchan-Ng, head of knowledge exchange at the Centre for Sustainable Fashion
Why this matters:
Biodegradable fabrics have the potential to lessen environmental damage, but without addressing the root issue of overproduction, the fashion industry's significant waste problem will persist. Overproduction is a deeply ingrained issue, driven by fast fashion's relentless cycle of new trends and disposable clothing. Even if mycelium leather were to be produced at scale, the industry's wasteful practices need to be addressed to see a meaningful reduction in waste. Sustainable materials alone cannot solve the problem if the overarching consumption patterns remain unchanged.
Sustainable, animal-free fabrics have been used in capsule collections, but to have the greatest impact, they have to go from an alternative option to an everyday material.
