Fast fashion makes it easy to buy cheap clothing that follows the latest trends and just as easy to throw it away
This article, written by Kelena Mafina Assan Kojo, who joined us for 10 weeks as part of our European Patent Pipeline Program in the summer of 2025, looks at how emerging technologies - such as artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced imaging - are being developed to reduce the environmental impact of fast fashion. The article will also highlight how businesses and inventors creating these technologies can protect their innovations with patents, and why doing so can be highly valuable.
What is Fast Fashion and Why is it a Problem?
Fast fashion refers to the mass production of low-cost clothing at rapid speeds to keep up with changing trends. With online shopping making it easier than ever to buy new clothes, consumption has risen dramatically. Because these garments are often poor quality, they are quickly discarded, creating a perpetual cycle of waste. Most clothes are made from synthetic materials made from fossil fuels. These take hundreds of years to decompose and release carbon dioxide as they break down.
The result? A growing environmental crisis. The majority of discarded clothing ends up in landfill or is incinerated, with less than 15% of textiles being recycled.
How is Technology Helping?
One of the biggest challenges in textile recycling is sorting materials, particularly blended fabrics that combine natural and synthetic fibres. Until now, this has been difficult, slow and inefficient. However, recent developments in AI, advanced sensors and robotics are changing this.
Technologies such as near-infrared spectroscopy and hyperspectral imaging can detect fibre composition and contamination with a high degree of accuracy. When combined with AI, these systems are optimised to emulate human-like cognition, increasing speed and efficiency. These technologies have the potential to transform textile recycling, making it more scalable and cost-effective, in turn, reducing the impact of fast fashion on the environment.
Where Do Patents Come In?
With so much investment going into developing these technologies, protecting them is crucial. A patent is a form of intellectual property that grants the owner the exclusive right to stop others from making, using or selling their invention for up to 20 years (this can differ depending on the jurisdiction).
To be patentable, an invention must:
- Be new (not disclosed before filing)
- Involve an inventive step (not obvious to an expert in the field)
- Be industrially applicable.
Also, confidentiality before filing is essential because once details are made public, they cannot be patented.
Special Considerations for Software-Based Inventions
Many of the technologies tackling fast fashion involve software or computer-implemented inventions. In the UK, these can be challenging to patent because "computer programs as such" are excluded. To succeed, the invention must show a technical contribution beyond just being software.
Why Patents are Valuable
For businesses and inventors working on technologies to reduce the impact of fast fashion, patents can provide a powerful advantage. Beyond legal protection, patents can also deliver significant financial benefits. In the UK, the Patent Box scheme allows companies to pay a reduced rate of corporation tax of 10% on profits generated from patented inventions.
Patents can also unlock commercial opportunities. They can be licensed to others, generating revenue streams that do not rely on manufacturing or direct sales. A patent does not need to be granted to do this - even while a patent application is still pending, it can strengthen a business's position with potential investors by demonstrating ownership of valuable intellectual property. For start-ups and SMEs, this can be a critical factor in attracting funding.
There are also practical advantages when it comes to green technologies. The UK Intellectual Property Office operates a Green Channel, which allows patent applications for environmentally beneficial inventions to be accelerated. For innovators tackling the environmental cost of fast fashion, this can mean faster protection and a quicker route to market.
Final Thoughts
Fast fashion poses a major environmental challenge, but emerging technologies such as AI and advanced imaging are paving the way for real solutions. By protecting these innovations with patents, inventors and businesses can not only secure commercial value but also accelerate the rollout of technologies that benefit the planet.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
