While several leading fashion brands have declined to give evidence in person, representatives from H&M and Boohoo are among those set to face questioning from EAC MPs.
The committee is expected to grill the retailers on the concrete steps each have taken to reduce their environmental impacts since the 2019 “Fixing fashion: clothing consumption and sustainability” report.
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During Wednesday’s session MPs are likely to probe head of public affairs at H&M Marcus Hartmann and Boohoo’s responsible sourcing director on issues including overproduction, textile waste and their use of sustainable materials.
According to research by the Hot or Cool Institute think tank, the UK has the fourth highest carbon footprint from fashion among G20 nations.
The rise of resale platforms such as Thrift+ and their impact on clothing consumption habits is also on the agenda, with the Committee set to examine whether such platforms increase or reduce over-consuming fashion.
H&M confirmed to Just Style that it would be attending the hearing but did not supply any further information.
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By GlobalDataA Boohoo spokesperson said: “We were very happy to accept the Committee’s invitation to appear at this session and provide an update on these important issues.”
Background behind EAC’s report in ending “throwaway fashion”
The “Fixing Fashion” report called for urgent government action to “end the era of throwaway fashion” through measures like an Extended Producer Responsibility scheme to make brands responsible for their waste. However, progress has been disappointingly slow according to the Committee.
The government rejected most of the committee’s recommendations from the report’s first enquiry in 2018.
Recommendations ranged from a producer responsibility charge to pay for better clothing collection and recycling to requiring due diligence checks across fashion supply chains to root out forced or child labour.
However, the government identified textile waste as a priority area to address in its Resources and Waste Strategy.
During the first probe by the EAC, 16 fashion retailers, including M&S, Next, Primark, Debenhams, and online apparel retailers Missguided, ASOS and Boohoo, were questioned by MPs.
They were asked about the measures they were taking to reduce the negative environmental and social impacts of the apparel they sell amid concerns over the “fast-fashion business model” encouraging over-consumption and generating excessive waste.
The report came off the back of EAC’s list of recommendations to the UK government urging it to introduce legislation to require fashion brands and retailers to perform due diligence checks across their supply chains, in a bid to tackle labour abuses and take more responsibility for the environmental impact of their businesses.
This too was rejected by the UK government, a decision that EAC labelled as “not good enough” and “out of step with the public.”
The EAC had requested to ban the incineration or landfilling of unsold stock and impose penny levies on garment producers. However, instead of implementing these requests, the Ministers reviewed the Modern Slavery Act 2015 to evaluate its effectiveness.
They also said they would continue to support the industry through the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan, a voluntary agreement coordinated by the Waste and Resources Action Programme, which sets targets to reduce carbon emissions, water, and waste.
The EAC was unsatisfied with the government’s response, with chair Mary Creagh, saying at the time: “The government has rejected our call, demonstrating that it is content to tolerate practices that trash the environment and exploit workers despite having just committed to net zero emission targets.”
Creagh added the EAC would be “closely monitoring” steps that the government claimed it was taking to address the problems exposed in its report.
