Defining sustainability in textile and apparel production: a critical review of absent and fragmented industry standards

Abstract

Sustainability has become a key yet debated topic in the world of textiles and clothing, often mentioned without a clear or universally agreed upon meaning. Even with more regulations and market-driven efforts towards sustainability, the industry still lacks consistent and unified standards to effectively evaluate its environmental and social impact. This article provides a critical review of the current sustainability frameworks, certification schemes, and assessment methods used in textile and clothing production focusing on why fragmentation persists and how it compromises transparency and accountability. By reviewing academic studies, policy documents, and industry standards, the research explores how well these current methods offer measurable, comparable, and verifiable sustainability criteria. The findings highlight inconsistencies in sustainability indicators, assessment boundaries, and verification practices, leading to varied interpretations and limited accountability. Additionally, the dependence on voluntary compliance and self-reported data weakens the reliability of sustainability claims. The paper suggests that these structural issues damage the credibility of sustainability discussions and hinder real progress towards responsible production. It ends by stressing the urgent need for integrated, transparent, and enforceable sustainability standards to allow for reliable assessment, regulatory alignment, and lasting change in the textile and clothing industry.