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Dr. Meital Peleg Mizrachi

Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Economics at Yale University and a professor at the University of Connecticut

Meet The Changemaker
Dr. Meital Peleg Mizrachi is a textile researcher, educator, and part of the group that founded the Moving Needle Program, an initiative dedicated to advancing sustainable textile innovation through education and collaboration. Her work explores how science, technology, and design can transform the fashion industry by developing more responsible materials and manufacturing practices. Through research and mentorship, she empowers students and professionals to create meaningful environmental change.
Why Their Work Matters
The future of fashion depends on innovation that reduces waste, conserves resources, and rethinks how textiles are designed and produced. Meital's work bridges research with real-world application, demonstrating how emerging technologies and collaborative problem-solving can make the textile industry more sustainable. By educating future leaders and encouraging creative solutions, she is helping shape a more circular and environmentally responsible fashion system.
The Conversation
In our conversation, Dr. Meital Peleg Mizrachi discusses the importance of innovation in building a more sustainable textile industry. We explore how education, research, and collaboration can accelerate positive change, the challenges facing sustainable fashion today, and the opportunities for the next generation to create lasting environmental impact through science and design.

Your research focuses on the intersection of fashion, economics, and public policy. In your opinion, what role should governments play in creating a more sustainable fashion industry?

"Yeah. Well, governments definitely have an important role today.

I think people tend to believe that when we talk about fashion, we're talking about trends and what color people are going to wear next year. But the truth is that the fashion industry is one of the largest industries in the world. It's worth about $2.3 trillion, more than the GDP of countries like Canada or Italy.

So, we're talking about an industry that's worth a tremendous amount of money. Not only that, it's an industry that employs more than 300 million people and has a very long and complicated supply chain.

The manufacturing of a garment can begin on one continent and then move to another, and another. On average, the production of a single garment can involve more than five countries. It's important to understand that background because these are geopolitical and political economy issues, not just fashion. It's not about styling. It's not about aesthetics. It's about the geopolitics of the world.

So, governments definitely need to step in because we're talking about one of the most polluting and exploitative industries. There are many reasons for government involvement. Governments should set the standards for what is and isn't allowed, including what we're even allowed to call sustainable.

That said, the important role of governments doesn't eliminate the role of consumers. Policies and regulations can be as comprehensive as possible, but if consumers don't follow them and continue choosing the most unsustainable products, no matter the reason, then even the best policies aren't going to work. So, it has to be a combination."

You've studied consumer behavior and sustainable consumption extensively. What is the biggest misconception people have about making sustainable fashion choices?

"I would say trying to purchase our way out of the climate crisis.

We keep thinking that if we just buy the right product, everything's going to be okay. We'll just thrift more instead of buying new clothes, or if we just buy more eco-friendly clothes, it's all going to work.

But the discussion we're having is mainly about consumption products, when it really needs to be about consumption patterns.

So, instead of focusing on buying better, we need to focus on consuming better."

Much of the conversation around sustainable fashion focuses on new materials and recycling technologies. You've argued that consumption habits also need to change. Why is reducing consumption such an important part of the solution?

"Well, it's everything.

At the end of the day, the environmental and social impact is a function of our consumption. In theory, a pair of jeans can be the most sustainable pair ever made, made from recycled polyester, manufactured responsibly, and so on.

But if that pair of jeans is thrown away within a year of being purchased, like we see with many clothes today, then the environmental impact is essentially the same.

So, it's not just about production, it's always about consumption.

One area of research that I find particularly interesting is the rebound effect in secondhand consumerism. In a nutshell, what Professor Sharon Rish and I found is that secondhand consumerism can actually encourage people to consume more. Consumers who were heavily involved in secondhand shopping ended up throwing away their clothes faster than other consumers, ultimately generating more textile waste.

So, all of that is to say that a product can be very sustainable, not just in theory, but also in practice. However, it has little impact if our consumption patterns remain the same."

Through your work with Yale's Moving the Needle initiative, you've collaborated with researchers, policymakers, and industry leaders. What gives you the most hope that the fashion industry can become more sustainable in the coming years?

"I don't know if I'm more optimistic than I was before I started working on this project. I was actually debating that question with myself.

But I do think we need much more research on sustainable fashion consumption. In that context, seeing the emphasis that universities, not just Yale, but also Harvard, Columbia, UCLA, and Stanford, are placing on sustainable fashion is quite amazing.

Even five years ago, when I started my academic career, people looked at me like I was crazy when I talked about sustainable fashion. I came from the fishing industry, and when I started talking about sustainability, people in the fashion industry would say, 'Oh, you're trying to eliminate us. What are you trying to do?'

Then I'd talk about it with people in the environmental movement, and they would look at me like I was crazy too. They'd say, 'Just tell people not to buy things. Obviously that's going to work.'

Today, it's very obvious that we need to talk about sustainable fashion and that we need to change our consumption patterns. Whether we're actually doing that is another question.

I'm concerned about two trends in sustainable fashion. The first is that we continue putting more and more emphasis on developing new products that are supposed to be sustainable, but we're missing the bigger picture of consuming better.

The second is a very alarming trend in which environmental sustainability is overshadowing social sustainability. We're talking about carbon emissions, toxic chemicals, water use, and all of those things, but we're almost using environmental sustainability as a shield to ignore worker safety and workers' rights.

If we look at the last 15 years, we've made some progress environmentally. But when it comes to labor conditions, especially since Rana Plaza, we're actually moving backwards.

So, I'm definitely concerned about that."

If you could inspire every young person to adopt one habit that would have the greatest positive impact on the future of fashion, what would it be and why?

"I would say, learn how to sew. Learn how to mend your own clothes and develop your own personal style.

One of the biggest gifts my grandmother gave me was teaching me how to sew. It's really much simpler than people think, and there's so much pride in wearing something that you made.

I feel like knowing how to make and mend your own clothes changes the way you think about garments.

So, learn how to sew."

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