The global fashion industry is one of the most important sectors of the global economy. It creates jobs and clothes for people all over the planet, but it is also one of the most polluting industries in the world.

The over-consumption of fashion items, the rising demand for synthetic fibers, the amount of waste produced by discarded garments, the chemicals used in the dyeing processes, and the agriculture pollution of fashion crops used for textiles are some of the main contributors to the industry’s pollution levels.

In addition to the environmental issues, the fashion industry’s lack of transparency in the manufacture processes is a serious hazard to social development. The industry employs over 25 million workers in over 100 countries, mostly in the developing world, and many of them work long hours under strenuous conditions for a dire salary. An estimated 75% of garment laborers worldwide face poverty.

The alarming condition of this multibillion industry requires an urgent multisectoral compromise from policy makers, manufacturers, retailers and consumers. Since August 2017, OMINA has been tackling these issues from a solution-oriented, educational perspective, aiming to raise awareness and spread knowledge in order to foster active and well-educated entrepreneurs and consumers able to make smarter, cleaner and better choices.