The groundbreaking issue addresses how the fashion industry and consumers can make meaningful changes to the way they work and shop to help the environment

As part of this issue, which is printed on 100% recycled paper, we've teamed up with important voices across a spectrum of industries, to help us champion the cause for better environmental consciousness. As well as hearing from these luminaries, we're proposing a manifesto of sorts - a collection of easy but meaningful changes that all of you can adopt to help make ethical consuming part of your every day.

And this manifesto was aided by a raft of eye-opening research which ELLE conducted, to assess the level of awareness around sustainability among young women in the UK.

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The Research

As part of the issue, ELLE UK conducted eye-opening research to find out the attitudes and awareness of sustainability in fashion among young women in the UK.

Key Findings:

  • 9 in 10 want to know more about sustainability in the fashion industry
  • Two-thirds (62%) were unaware that the fashion industry is one of the world’s biggest polluters
  • 62% are more likely to buy an item of clothing from a brand that values sustainability
  • 55% found it important or very important to know where the clothes they buy come from and that they are ethically made
  • 51% want to know what they can do to become more sustainable
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Clay. S. Gardner

Important Voices

Within the magazine, ELLE speaks to influential designers, authors, experts and icons about pushing for active change and creating a more sustainable and cleaner future.

Pamela Anderson says: ‘Can we make sustainability sexy? Compassion is sexy; empathy is, too. It’s a romantic struggle, to free the world by educating it.’

Stella McCartney says: ‘The fashion industry has been using the same ten materials for the past 200 to 300 years — come on guys: the food industry is changing, the fashion industry is doing the same old stuff, and getting away with it.’

Naomi Klein says: ‘I feel like a rallying cry for our age is save what you love, whether it’s places, people, or even things.’

Livia Firth says: ‘When you look at the #MeToo campaign and the concept of feminism, you think, “How can we just be feminists in our little world?” When you are a feminist, you have to consider women everywhere. When you get dressed, you are wearing the story of another woman who is getting exploited. If you are a true feminist, #MeToo also has to apply to them. You have to make the connection and remember those stories.’

Jaden Smith says: ‘It’s the words we use around sustainability that put people off. It’s really about life and death, and about how our way of living is being threatened’

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ELLE

Our ELLE Promises

In the issue, ELLE has pledged to make fundamental changes to its working practices to support the cause, including:

CONSIDER the working environment in the production of our magazine.

MEASURE the environmental impact of our business and set benchmarks for change.

WORK WITH suppliers and improve our practices.

USE our multi-media platform in print and digital to raise awareness of climate issues.

ELIMINATE the use of single use plastics both in the office and on photo shoots.

CONSISTENTLY shine a light on sustainable designers and brands who are worth shopping from.

HIGHLIGHT the campaigners and people working to save the world.

USE recycled set props as much as possible.

The Sustainability Issue is available on newsstands on 8 August.