SUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLE ZINE BY MAISON FIERRO

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Web3 in Fashion: The Path to Boost or Destroy Sustainability

Maison Fierro
May 31
3 min read

AI, blockchain, NFTs, Big Data —an ever-growing list of digital innovations is disrupting the fashion industry. But are these technologies advancing sustainability, or threatening to destroy it entirely?

A robot wearing tech fashion - Web3 in Fashion: The Path to Boost or Destroy Sustainability

Web3: What Is It?

Beyond digital transformation, Web3 represents the next stage of the internet, defined largely by decentralisation and community-based control. Digital currencies may not have lived up to their promises from a decade ago, but the blockchain —the technological innovation behind them— is here to stay and transform industries.

So, it’s not just about digitising products and services anymore. It’s about embedding digital totems, smart contracts, decentralised finance, and more into our systems— but how? and how to do it for the sake of sustainability?

The Bright Side of Web3 for Sustainability

Web3 innovations can add value across products and supply chains— particularly by enhancing traceability.

QR codes are now a standard feature on many products. But imagine how much smarter they could become. By scanning a QR code, consumers could access a blockchain ledger showing detailed data about a garment’s journey: where it was made, the places it traveled before reaching our hands, the workshops involved, the people behind its creation, certifications, and a multitude of data points that enhance transparency— and therefore traceability.

As the technology evolves, it may begin collecting data on how items are used. In a few years’ time, these smart labels could provide insights into durability based on production processes and materials. They could also offer usage tips and sustainability guidance. For example, a garment could display indicators of its ethical and environmental impact before purchase, and then suggest best practices for washing and wearing afterward.

Like cryptocurrencies, NFTs have experienced a significant slowdown since their initial boom. While brands initially rushed to create NFTs and digital fashion products, what has endured are the digital totems attached to physical pieces, acting as certifications. These digital certificates help mainly combat counterfeiting by verifying authenticity. But they also enhance product value —especially in the booming secondhand market. How can we ensure the legitimacy of resale items? How can we verify they weren’t stolen? A digital certification offers a solution, legitimising the product and assuring provenance... while adding value to the stories behind of the so-called pre-loved items.

Beyond traceability, incorporating these technologies can restore value to garments by emphasising their inner quality and wearability. Instead of buying based solely on brand or trend, consumers could make informed decisions rooted in durability, traceability, and ethical standards. Nowadays countries like France are pushing indicators to know the circularity, durability and sustainability behind the products (To learn more, rea now: How to Repair on a Budget: Money-Saving Recommendations for Fixes). But in a few years time it will be all shown in q quick scan of a smart label.

The Downside of Web3 for Sustainability

The environmental cost of tech in fashion cannot be ignored: technology embedded in garments complicates recycling, generates e-waste alongside textile waste, and adds to the ecological toll of NFTs and blockchain transactions.

Without going too deeply into technicalities, the creation of NFTs and blockchain-based systems —and every data transaction they entail— carries a substantial ecological footprint. The “mining” processes behind them are considerably energy-intensive although it has also to be shared that relevant changes are taking place to reduce it. So, while blockchain and digital certifications may increase transparency and value, they may simultaneously undermine goals of low- or zero-impact processes.

Much remains to be studied and discussed. For now, ethical frameworks must guide how we use technology in fashion, especially with sustainability in mind. Instead of integrating wearable tech for novelty’s sake, technology should be embedded with the purpose to achieve sustainability.

Moreover, technology in fashion should be rationalised and, where possible, minimised. There are two reasons for this: first, to embrace slowness and adhere to energy sobriety and low-tech principles(1); second, to ensure that small-scale, thoughtful integrations democratise technology while making it genuinely effective for positive change(2).

Web3 presents fashion with a paradox: a powerful toolkit for transparency, traceability and consumer empowerment, yet one that risks deepening the industry's environmental footprint if misused. The challenge lies not in the technology itself, but in how—and why—it is implemented. When applied thoughtfully, with sustainability as the core driver rather, Web3 can help rewrite the rules of fashion toward greater accountability and ethical innovation.

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(1)

Kallis,G., Kostakis, V., Lange, S., Muraca, B. Paulson, S.

et Schmelzer, M. (2018). Research On Degrowth. Annual Review of Environment and Resources. Pp. 303-305z https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-environ-

102017-025941

Rodier, M. (No date). Degrowth, Energy Sobriety, Low-Tech: Towards an Architecture of Conviviality. Places Journal. Available at: https://placesjournal.org/reading-list/degrowth-energy-sobriety-low-tech-towards-an-architecture-of-conviviality/. [Last accessed on 1 May 2925].