As a major cotton producer and exporter for Western brands, Pakistan plays a central role in the global supply chain, driven by economic pressures to offer low production costs and lax regulations. In 2023, Pakistan produced approximately 887,000 tons of pre-consumer textile waste and imported over 800,000 tons of second-hand clothing, much of it ending up in landfills or informal recycling streams. The textile sector accounts for roughly 9.5% of Pakistan’s industrial greenhouse gas emissions.

In agriculturally vital regions like Punjab, textile production significantly impacts land and water resources, with the production of cotton and denim being extremely water and energy-intensive. Weaving, bleaching and dyeing release harmful chemicals and untreated effluents into the environment, leading to marine ecotoxicity, soil degradation and serious health risks for local communities. Rivers such as the Ravi, once vital to farming, are now heavily contaminated by industrial runoff linked to the textile industry. The production of just one pair of jeans can require up to 7,500 litres of water, an alarming burden for water-scarce countries, including Pakistan.  Meanwhile, farmers face worsening challenges from land degradation and water scarcity, further accelerating the loss of fertile land and deepening environmental crises. The unsustainable use of natural resources highlights the urgent need to consider local environmental conditions in global fashion supply chains. 

Pakistan’s Informal Recycling Sector and Greenwashing

In cities such as Satiana and Karachi, the informal recycling sector depends heavily on low-paid, unprotected female labour, who sort chemically treated waste without proper safety measures. With 350 to 450 small-scale recycling units operating without regulation, traceability and compliance are nearly impossible. Meanwhile, less than 1% of clothing is recycled into new garments – a stark case of greenwashing. Without Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws, brands face no obligation to manage their waste, leaving countries like Pakistan to shoulder the cost of a system built on exploitation.

Zille Huma – Sustainable Fashion Production in the Global South

In a fashion system that thrives on overproduction and disposability, Zille Huma stands out as a designer rooted in resistance. Born in a small agricultural village in Punjab, Zille Huma’s work, particularly for her slow fashion brand Xile, is inseparable from the land she comes from – a land now rapidly vanishing under the pressures of industrialization and climate change. Zille has witnessed firsthand the devastating impact of urban expansion in Pakistan: fast fashion labour exploitation, agricultural land replaced by factories, and rivers run dry and polluted. Her work is an urgent response to these transformations.

Zille was the first in her village to pursue a creative career, studying design at PIFD (Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design) – where she now teaches – and later becoming the first Pakistani woman from her region to receive a full scholarship to Parsons School of Design in New York, where she completed her MFA in fashion. Her time abroad, surrounded by the concrete skyline of Manhattan, only deepened her attachment to the green landscapes of home. Her debut collection,  rich in traditional hand embroidery, deadstock textiles, and reclaimed materials,  bridges the tension between the industrial and the natural, the East and West.  Zille displays her rare dual perspective: the deep-rooted connection to the land and a first-hand awareness of the modern challenges facing the fashion industry. For her, sustainability is a personal and political responsibility.

As a designer, Zille Huma sees the environmental impact of textile waste in Pakistan as urgent. “Water pollution from untreated dye and chemical runoff, massive landfill accumulation from synthetic fabrics, and excessive resource use in production,” she explains, are among the most pressing challenges.

These issues, she notes, are worsened by poor infrastructure and low public awareness, underscoring the need for sustainable design to become not just a choice but a necessity.

In her Lahore studio, Zille centres her work around waste-conscious design, upcycling, and the revival of indigenous craft. “Every scrap has a story,” she says. “I don’t see waste – I see possibility.” Her practice is grounded in using what already exists – deadstock fabrics, recycled textiles, and traditional handwoven materials like khaddar and organic cotton, while employing natural dyes and avoiding polluting chemical processes. These materials, she explains, are essential for reducing fashion’s reliance on synthetic fibres and chemically intensive processes, which are often responsible for high water consumption and environmental pollution.

By sourcing locally and avoiding industrial production lines, Zille also minimizes her carbon footprint and supports Pakistan’s struggling agricultural and artisanal economies. “Using handwoven and locally produced fabrics is not just environmentally responsible – it’s a way of keeping our heritage alive,” she says. Her collections, some of which take up to six months to produce, are built with this philosophy, favouring slow, intentional design over trend-driven turnover. 

Across the ocean, Hawa Patel is building a parallel solution rooted in community, faith, and circular fashion. With Apis Closet, a U.S.-based South Asian outfit rental platform set to launch in Summer 2025, she directly challenges the linear model of “buy, wear, discard” that dominates diaspora weddings and celebrations. Instead of importing expensive, one-wear garments, Apis Closet offers a system to a circular model of “rent, party, repeat”, reducing demand for new materials and extending the life of traditional outfits. By making South Asian fashion more accessible, inclusive, and reusable, Apis Closet brings cultural pride into the heart of the sustainability conversation. 

Api’s Closet tackles the environmental and financial costs of traditional occasionwear. “Many South Asian outfits are imported, worn once, and forgotten,” Hawa explains. This issue is especially pronounced in South Asian weddings, which often span multiple days and events, creating pressure for attendees to wear a different, often brand-new outfit for each function.

Not only is that wasteful, “it is disrespectful to those who work so hard to make the pieces.” By participating in the circular economy, Apis Closet aims to reduce demand for virgin materials and keep garments out of landfills, offering a practical, low-waste solution especially relevant to Muslim and South Asian communities. 

The environmental stakes are clear. “Renting vs. buying new is taking a step to break away from the single-use consumption and waste models that are the norm for society today,” she says. In many diaspora communities, traditional outfits are imported at high costs and worn only once. “By renting, the average consumer is reducing their waste contribution. Renting reduces the constant need to buy new fashion, thus reducing overconsumption.” 

Hawa’s approach is shaped deeply by her faith and cultural identity. “ I believe it is my duty as a Muslim to not be a part of the degradation of the planet and society, at the hands of what I work and love the most- fashion.” For her, sustainability is a moral and spiritual commitment: “I have been blessed with life and I cannot justify using it to overconsume and rot the planet.”Her critique extends beyond personal consumption to the structural injustices in global supply chains. She emphasizes the need for ethical sourcing, traceability, and fair production for regions in the Global South that bear the brunt of fast fashion’s costs. Apis Closet’s sourcing partnerships prioritize small-batch artisan designers and responsible production, moving from mass manufacturing to intentional, value-driven fashion. Social sustainability, she says, is about championing artisans and giving their work the longevity and appreciation it deserves.

While she acknowledges that some parts of the fashion industry are making progress, particularly through ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) strategies adopted by retailers regardless of local law requirements, she is clear that deeper, systemic change is still needed. “Large-scale change will need to come from within because governments, especially in fashion-producing countries, historically have not passed legislation which protects the environment or garment workers.”

A just fashion future requires global accountability through stronger regulation and reparative justice, alongside local innovation such as the work of Zille Huma and Hawa Patel. Their efforts show how Muslim and South Asian communities can lead the way in building a fashion system rooted in cultural integrity, sustainability, and care.

The post Resisting Fast Fashion: Voices from Pakistan and Diaspora appeared first on Muslim Climate Watch.

Globally, meat consumption is rising and Muslim communities in the West are not exempt. In the U.S., the halal meat market is expected to grow by over $21 billion by 2029, driven by increased accessibility and demand. In the UK, British Muslims comprise a small percentage of the population but account for 20% of the country’s lamb consumption. Yet this ease of access has moved meat from a luxury for special occasions to a daily staple, bringing significant consequences for public and planetary health. Higher consumption of red and processed meats is linked to increased risks of chronic diseases and is associated with high levels of saturated fats and cholesterol. Meat production also contributes to 60% of food-related greenhouse gas emissions, driving global warming and climate disruption.

Islam offers a way of life centred on balance and mindfulness which should be practised in our meat consumption. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ did not eat meat daily. Rather, it was consumed occasionally – a luxury, not a necessity. His diet was simple and plant-inclusive, built around grains, dates, fruits, and dairy, with meat reserved for special occasions.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

“Be moderate and adhere to moderation, for there is no one among you who will be saved by his deeds.” 

(Sunan Ibn Majah 4201, Book 37, Hadith 102)

This principle of moderation (wasatiyyah) applies to spiritual life as well as to our everyday practices, including what and how we eat. 

Plant-based diets have been mainstreamed in response to high meat consumption to reduce public health risks and environmental impact. While there is no universally agreed-upon definition of the term, it is often used to refer to diets primarily including unprocessed plant-based foods, such as vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Plant-based diets are also associated with vegan diets, which exclude all animal products, and vegetarian diets, which exclude meat, fish, and poultry. 

Plant-based eating is not just a health trend, but a part of a holistic lifestyle that reflects Islamic principles. Islam doesn’t only ask us to eat what is halal (permissible), but also what is tayyib (pure, wholesome, and ethical). Research consistently shows that plant-based diets help lower the risk of heart disease, strokes, obesity and diabetes – all non-communicable diseases increasingly affecting minority communities. Not only this, but plant-based diets also have the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, land use, and water pollution by up to 75% compared to meat-heavy diets. This calls us to reflect more deeply on how our food is sourced, produced, and consumed, especially in the context of our responsibility to care for ourselves and the environment. 

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ also said:

“The world is beautiful and verdant, and verily God, be He exalted, has made you His stewards in it, and He sees how you acquit yourselves.” 

(Sahih Muslim)

As stewards of the Earth, our everyday habits, including our diet, play a vital role in preserving the natural world entrusted to us. This also prompts reflection on whether meat produced in factory farms, where animals are raised in confined, stressful, and unnatural conditions to meet high demand, can genuinely be considered tayyib. Modern industrial meat production falls short of the ethical standards embedded in Islamic teachings. As the demand for halal meat continues to rise, maintaining halal and tayyib standards becomes increasingly difficult for mass production. While the method of slaughter may be halal, the treatment of animals throughout their lives often contradicts Islamic values of mercy, compassion, and care.

Quranic verses and hadiths remind us of our responsibilities to all living creatures:

“And there is no creature on [or within] the earth or bird that flies with its wings except [that they are] communities like you…”

(Quran 6:38)

“A good deed done to an animal is as good as doing good to a human being; while an act of cruelty to an animal is as bad as an act of cruelty to human beings,”

(Mishkat al-Masabih; Book 6; Chapter 7)

Eating consciously by choosing halal and tayyib food is part of honouring our role as stewards of the Earth that Islam calls us to uphold. Environmental realities are already pushing us to reconsider long-held traditions. In Morocco, for example, King Mohammed VI urged citizens to refrain from performing Qurbani (animal sacrifice) during Eid al-Adha this year due to a severe seven-year drought and a significant shortage in sheep herds. This decision reflects how environmental decline impacts food availability and spiritual practices, reminding us that sustainability is not a distant concern but a present and urgent reality.

Eating more plant-based food during Ramadan does not mean abandoning tradition, but returning to the Sunnah of moderation. Seasonal vegetables, whole grains, dates, and fruits are not just healthy choices, but faith-based ones. Whether by eating less meat, supporting local ethical producers, or incorporating more plant-based meals, every choice becomes a step toward a more balanced, just, and spiritually grounded lifestyle of consuming. It is also important to acknowledge that making sustainable and ethical food choices is a privilege not available to everyone as structural inequalities, affordability, and availability may hinder access to fresh, wholesome, and ethically sourced food. For those of us who do have the means and access, these choices carry an even greater responsibility – to consume with compassion, to share with others, and to advocate for food security in all communities. 

The post Sacred Sustenance: Embracing Plant-Based Choices This Ramadan appeared first on Muslim Climate Watch.