Advancing Organisational Life Cycle Assessment in the Fashion Industry: Strategies for Sustainable Corporate Practices

The fashion industry, particularly fast fashion, is one of the most environmentally destructive sectors, accounting for 10% of global carbon emissions and consuming approximately 93 billion cubic meters of water annually. Textile production alone is responsible for 20% of global clean water pollution due to dyeing and finishing processes. With over 150 billion garments produced each year, the industry generates vast amounts of waste, with 87% of discarded textiles in the EU either incinerated or sent to landfills. This paper examines the environmental impact of fashion, assessing corporate sustainability practices through methodologies such as Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Organisational Life Cycle Assessment (OLCA). A detailed case study of an Italian apparel manufacturer is presented, evaluating its environmental footprint over a one-year period using the SimaPro LCA tool and the Ecoinvent database. The findings highlight critical areas for improvement, particularly in resource consumption, emissions reduction, and waste management. Recommendations focus on increasing resource efficiency, adopting renewable energy, and ensuring transparent sustainability reporting to combat greenwashing. By identifying data-driven solutions, this paper contributes to the broader discourse on sustainable fashion, offering practical strategies for reducing the industry’s environmental footprint and supporting long-term sustainability goals. Keywords: Organisational Life Cycle Assessment (OLCA), Environmental Sustainability, Fashion Industry, Corporate Environmental Practices, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Sustainable Development