Can AI power a green fashion revolution?

With a huge carbon footprint, vast water usage and filling up of landfills, the fashion industry’s impact is well documented. But companies throughout the supply chain have rolled out tech solutions, many of them AI powered, to address these issues.

At the growing stage, AI apps are being used by farmers to grow regenerative cotton. Other companies are using such tech to optimise orders, reducing the amount of garments that go straight to landfill. AI powered machines are detecting defects at the manufacturing stage and retailers are using it to help their customers make more informed choices.

Fashion journalist Brooke Roberts-Islam follows a pair of jeans across the full fashion supply chain. We visit a cotton farm in India, where AI tools help to reduce water and pesticide use; in Bangladesh, algorithms in garment factories prevent waste through identifying defects in materials and retailers in the West are providing their customers with detailed information on the materials used in each product.

Featuring contributions from Kuldeep Khatri, director of nature at Materra; Max Easton, CEO of Smartex; and Andrew Xeni, founder of the ethical retailer Nobody’s Child.

Presenter: Brooke Roberts-Islam
Sound engineer: Jarek Zaba
Producer: Jarek Zaba
A 2 Degrees West production for BBC World Service

(Photo: AI powered machine in a garment factory helps identify defects in materails. Credit: Russel Shubho)