租衣服穿可能並沒有你想象的那麼環保。研究發現，服裝租賃過程中會產生大量排放物，對環境和氣候造成的有害影響相比回收、轉售衣服都更大。
A woman looks at clothes at Rent the Runway， an online subscription service for designer dresses and accessories in New York。 Photograph： Shannon Stapleton/Reuters
A study has revealed that renting clothes， long touted as one of the “answers” to fashion’s sustainability crisis， is worse for the planet than throwing them away。
一項研究揭示，長久以來被奉為時裝業可持續發展危機解決之道的服裝租賃對地球更有害，不如直接丟棄衣服更環保。
The study， published by the Finnish scientific journal Environmental Research Letters assessed the environmental impact of five different ways of owning and disposing of clothing， including renting， resale and recycling。
發表在芬蘭科學期刊《環境研究快報》上的這項研究評估了5種擁有和處理衣服的不同方法對環境造成的影響，包括租賃、轉售和回收。
It found that renting clothes had the highest climate impact of all。 The hidden environmental cost was found to be delivery and packaging costs。 Renting involves a large amount of transportation， taking the clothes back and forth between the warehouse and the renter。 Dry cleaning is also harmful to the environment。
研究發現，服裝租賃對氣候造成的影響最大。運送和包裝過程中都會產生隱性的環境成本。在庫房和租賃者之間來回運送服裝的運輸量很大。此外，乾洗衣服對環境也有害。
A quality controller working at Rent the Runway’s ‘dream fulfilment centre’ in New Jersey。 Photograph： Andrew Kelly/Reuters
Renting clothes has been thought of the sustainable and frugal alternative to fast fashion， popularised by companies such as Rent the Runway and public figures like Carrie Symonds， who rented her wedding dress and her outfits for the G7 conference。 Gwyneth Paltrow is on the Rent the Runway board and Ralph Lauren has announced a rental range。
服裝租賃曾被認為是替代快時尚的可持續又省錢的選擇，在租衣平臺Rent the Runway和凱莉·西蒙茲等公眾人物的推廣下走近了百姓的生活。凱莉·西蒙茲曾穿著租來的衣服舉行婚禮和出席七國集團峰會。明星格溫妮絲·帕特洛是Rent the Runway的董事之一，時裝品牌拉夫勞倫也宣佈推出租衣服務。
The growing sector， which according to GlobalData is going to be worth £2。3bn by 2029， has been touted as a possible solution to fashion’s environmental crisis。 A report by the World Economic Forum this year suggested that the industry generates 5% of global emissions。
GlobalData公司的資料顯示，2029年服裝租賃業的市值估計會增長到23億英鎊（約合人民幣206億元）。據稱服裝租賃業可以化解時裝產業的環境危機。然而，世界經濟論壇今年的一份報告指出，服裝租賃業產生的碳排放量佔到了全球排放量的5%。
The study found many rental brands misuse the term “circular economy” – the system where clothes are passed from person to person before being recycled – as a form of greenwashing。
研究發現，許多服裝租賃品牌都在濫用“迴圈經濟”一詞作為漂綠手段。實際上，衣服從一個人傳給另一個人直至被回收才是真正的迴圈經濟。
greenwashing： 由“綠色”（green，象徵環保）和“漂白”（whitewash）合成的一個新詞。用來說明一家公司、政府或是組織以某些行為或行動宣示自身對環境保護的付出但實際上卻是反其道而行。
Ralph Lauren has said it will produce a range of clothes for rent。 Photograph： Mario Anzuoni/Reuters
“Only regulation will solve that problem。 No company， in any industry， will volunteer to take a loss for the sake of the planet。 They’ll do so when it’s the law。 The biggest obstacle is greed，” said Dana Thomas， author of Fashionopolis。
《時尚都市》作者丹娜·托馬斯稱：“只有法規才能解決這一問題。任何行業的任何一家公司都不會為了地球而自願蒙受損失。只有在法律的強制下他們才會照做。最大的障礙是貪婪。”
The new study suggests that if rental companies change their logistics to make them more climate friendly， renting would， environmentally， be on a level with reselling。 It also found that the most sustainable way to consume fashion is to buy fewer items and to wear them for as long as possible。 “You want to be sustainable？ Buy less， buy better，” Thomas said。
這項新研究指出，假如服裝租賃公司把自己的物流系統變得更環保，那麼租賃對環境的影響將和轉售相當。研究還發現，時裝消費最可持續的方式就是少買衣服，儘可能穿得久一些。托馬斯說：“你想要可持續？那就少買，要買就買好的。”
英文來源：衛報
翻譯&編輯：丹妮
