ABSTRACT
McKinsey has forecasted that companies that adopt circular-economy principles will outcompete others because the shortage of resources will expose companies that do not to higher costs and unforeseeable risks. While the environmental and social aspects of sustainability have been getting much-deserved attention, in fashion at least there has been a lack of focus on the benefits of economic sustainability. Consequently, asking whether a business can afford sustainability without hurting its profits is beside the point. The founder and chief executive officer of Saitex, billed as the cleanest denim sewing factory and laundry in the world, likes to tell the story of the "Four Wise Monkeys" to explain what is going wrong within the apparel industry. Patagonia has since followed an elaborate strategy of reuse and resell, only then recycling garments that cannot be repaired, helping the company to use fewer resources and create less textile waste.
