Fashion's dirty laundry: How much plastic is at play?

Fashion companies are falling over themselves to show they are improving their questionable sustainability credentials. Yet some of their marketing has got ahead of realities of the shop floor. Looking around the new season's ranges, sustainability claims are almost as prominent as the fashion itself. Zara has ‘Join Life' tags on more than a few of its pieces, noting "at least 50% of recycled polyester and produced using less water". Similarly, H&M sports ‘Conscious choice' labels, which means an item contains at least 50% of "more sustainable" materials like organic cotton. While it's g...