Top 10: Sustainable Fashion Brands

The fashion industry generates approximately 92 million tonnes of textile waste annually, much of which is disposed of in landfills and waterways.

According to the United Nations Environment Programme, around 60% of clothing materials are plastic, with polyester, acrylic and nylon being common raw materials.

However, some companies are committed to transforming these practices through sustainable manufacturing processes.

The fashion industry can address its environmental challenges by focusing on better manufacturing processes and methodologies, including eliminating greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy sourcing, repair solutions and refurbishing products to achieve more circular practices.

Below, we explore 10 brands that are leading these efforts.

10. H&M

• Founded: 1947
• Employees: 143,000
• Director of Sustainability: Leyla Ertur
• CEO: Daniel Ervér

H&M's objective is to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040 and shift towards a circular economy, minimising the dependence on new raw materials.

Leyla Ertur, Director of Sustainability at H&M, emphasises circularity: “We want to make sure customers shopping in this price bracket don’t have to compromise and that they can find fashionable clothes that are also sustainable. Circularity is the key. What is clear though, is that our industry has to stop overproduction. It doesn’t make sense for business nor for the planet.”

9. Gucci

• Founded: 1921
• Employees: 21,000
• Head of Sustainability & Circularity: Nevio Benvenuto
• CEO: Stefano Cantino

Since 2018, Gucci has maintained carbon neutrality across its operations and entire supply chain.

Reaching beyond neutrality, Gucci adopted a nature-positive stance in 2021, safeguarding and replenishing forests and mangroves while investing in regenerative agriculture techniques.

Its parent company, Kering, has broken through environmental profit and loss accounting that enables the measurement of factors like greenhouse gas emissions and waste production.

8. Burberry

• Founded:1856
• Employees: 9,330
• Vice President Corporate Responsibility: Caroline Laurie
• CEO: Joshua Schnulman

Burberry, known for its iconic designs, is committed to utilising responsibly sourced and certified key raw materials by Spring 2030.

The brand's innovation team is dedicated to discovering next-gen material and procedural alternatives that support business decarbonisation.

In particular, Burberry's Heritage Trench Coats are made from 100% organically grown cotton, woven in its Yorkshire, England manufacturing sites.

7. Levi’s

• Founded: 1853
• Employees: 19,000
• CSO: Jeffrey Hogue
• CEO: Michelle Gass

Levi's acknowledges its role in the climate crisis and is altering its manufacturing processes to reduce its impact on the planet.

“There’s no denying that the fashion industry plays a part in today’s climate crisis,” Levi’s says.

Their Climate Transition Plan aims to cut supply chain emissions by 42% by 2030. Chief Sustainability Officer Jeffrey Hogue explains the company's strategy: “We’re scaling up what works, innovating where it’s needed and collaborating with the industry to do our part.”

6. Prada

• Founded: 1913
• Employees: 14,800
• Head of Corporate Social Responsibility: Lorenzo Bertelli
• CEO: Andrea Guerra

In 2023, Prada recycled all of its textile waste, owned numerous photovoltaic plants and procured over 85% renewable electricity worldwide.

The Re-Nylon Collection, made from ECONYL, supports sustainability by using regenerated nylon, which retains quality even after repeated recycling.

The Prada Re-Nylon for the brand's SEA BEYOND Collection also supports a partnership with UNESCO to raise awareness of ocean preservation. 

Lorenzo Bertelli, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility, says: “This collection allows us to make our contribution and create products without using new resources.”

5. Marks & Spencer

• Founded: 1884
• Employees: 65,000
• Head of Raw Material, Packaging and Sustainability: Katharine Beacham
• CEO: Stuart Machin

Marks & Spencer’s Plan A emphasises the procurement and manufacturing of products sustainably.

M&S's strategy, ‘Reshape M&S’, integrates Plan A, targeting net-zero operations by 2040.

As CEO, Stuart Machin explains: “We want to be the most trusted retailer, doing the right thing for customers, with quality products at the heart of everything we do.”

4. Lululemon

• Founded: 1998
• Employees:30,000
• Senior Vice President, Global Sustainable Business & Impact: Esther Speck
• CEO: Calvin McDonald

Lululemon’s Impact Agenda integrates sustainability into its strategy and operations.

Esther Speck, Senior Vice President, Global Sustainable Business & Impact, stresses collaboration as a key factor: “As we continue our Impact journey, partnership and collaboration remain important components of our approach to navigating and helping to solve the complex environmental and social challenges we face.”

Additionally, Lululemon supports repair services for its garments.

3. Nike

• Founded: 1964
• Employees: 83,700
• CSO: Jaycee Pribulsky
• CEO: Elliott Hill

When it comes to sustainability efforts in manufacturing and production operations, all of Nike’s extended supply chain waste is diverted from landfills, with 80% being recycled into new products.

Nike participates in recycling and donation services and sources return materials for refurbished sales.

Through smart manufacturing, it transforms local vintage and deadstock into freshly designed products.

2. Adidas

• Founded: 1849
• Employees: 59,000
• Head of Sustainability, North America: Kara Solomonides Brody
• CEO: Bjørn Gulden

Adidas demonstrates environmental benefits for nine out of 10 products, reducing per-product emissions by 15%.

Adidas encourages employees to be sustainability ambassadors.  

“We empower our employees to become sustainability ambassadors, just as we invite consumers globally to engage and connect with us on the topic of sustainability,” the company says.

CEO Bjørn Gulden also explains: “Our company has set very clear targets on what we want to achieve, and we will do exactly that. This industry, and especially Adidas, has done a lot of good stuff for the planet over the last 30 years.”

1. Patagonia

• Founded: 1973
• Employees: 3,000
• Head of Environmental Impact: Kim Drenner
• CEO: Ryan Gellert

Trailblazing in environmental preservation, Patagonia has invested 1% of its sales toward natural conservation efforts since 1985.

Manufacturing contributes 85% of Patagonia’s emissions, leading the company to adopt innovative solutions like using only organically grown cotton.

In 2022, company founder Yvon Chouinard transferred ownership to ensure its profits fight climate change.

He said: "While we’re doing our best to address the environmental crisis, it’s not enough.”