Are you looking for a more sustainable way to clothe your company?
Sustainable clothing is becoming more and more popular each year. More and more people are looking for eco-friendly fashion options, and brands that offer sustainable clothing are growing in popularity.
Making your brand more sustainable can be a lot of work, but it’s worth it! You will be helping the environment, but you’ll also be appealing to a broader range of customers. People are increasingly interested in sustainability, so making your brand more eco-friendly will attract attention.
If you’re thinking about making your brand more sustainable or just curious about what goes into sustainable fashion, read on!
This article will discuss the basics of sustainable clothing, including what it is and why it’s essential. We’ll also give you some tips on making your brand more sustainable.
What is a sustainable clothing
Sustainable clothing is clothing made from recycled materials and used for environmentally-friendly purposes. Ethical clothing values social welfare and workers’ rights, which are common in conscious consumption.
Sustainable fashion (also known as eco-fashion) is an ideology and process for encouraging changes in fashion products and the fashion system towards greater ecological responsibility and social justice.
In its broader sense, sustainable fashion includes not just clothing textiles or items. It considers the entire manufacturing process, who produces it, and how long a product’s life span is before it reaches the landfill.
The fashion sector and fast fashion have created an enormous carbon footprint, and this sustainable movement aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This sustainable movement will combat global warming, air pollution, water pollution, and other potential climate-related deaths over the next century.
Sustainable fashion is a type of business that aims to offer sustainable, long-term profit opportunities. Sustainable fashion deals with questions about clothing from the viewpoints of both contemporary manufacturers and consumers and future producers and customers.
Is sustainable fashion really sustainable?
The answer is yes and no. While sustainable fashion is based on good intentions, the execution is often not as environmentally friendly or socially responsible as it could be.
The fast fashion industry is one of the biggest polluters in the world. To produce cheap clothing quickly, fast fashion brands often cut corners for sustainability. They might use harmful chemicals in their clothes, source their materials from unethical suppliers, or pay their workers low wages.
On the other hand, sustainable fashion brands are committed to being as eco-friendly and socially responsible as possible. They might use sustainable materials like organic cotton or bamboo, source their materials from ethical suppliers, or pay their workers fair wages.
Because sustainable fashion is a relatively new industry, there isn’t always a lot of regulation around what qualifies as “sustainable.” Some brands might call themselves sustainable when they’re not actually being very eco-friendly or socially responsible.
There are some factors to consider when trying to answer this question. But ultimately, whether or not sustainable fashion is genuinely sustainable is up to each individual. What matters most is that we continue to ask questions and seek out answers to move closer to a more sustainable future for fashion.
Sustainable clothing vs conventional Clothing
You can see that there are many distinctions between sustainable and conventional clothing, which are as follows:
Pricing
Price is one of the most significant differences between sustainable and conventional apparel. Sustainable clothing may be more expensive because of environmentally responsible materials and a more labour-intensive manufacturing process. However, the price of clothing is not always an accurate indicator of quality. In some cases, sustainable brands may offer better quality clothing at a lower price than conventional brands.
Quality
The average American throws away about 80 pounds of used clothing per year. Sustainable fashion aims to change this by creating clothing that is made to last longer and can be recycled or reused when it’s no longer wanted.
Sustainable fashion is the practice of producing and distributing clothing that satisfies the demands of those in need while also protecting the environment. With this in mind, all eco-fashion businesses attempt to offer their clients the best quality at a reasonable price while minimizing waste.
Sustainable fashion is a growing industry, and numerous well-known companies specialize in it.
Reformation, for example, is a worldwide renowned sustainable clothing line that uses environmentally friendly materials and minimizes water usage throughout the manufacturing process. And the quality of the products is incredible.
As a result, it’s feasible to have high-quality, sustainable clothing without sacrificing style or comfort.
Eco Fabrics
Many sustainable fabrics are available on the market, including bamboo, organic cotton, hemp, and recycled polyester. Sustainable fabric options are becoming more widely known as consumer demand for eco-friendly clothing increases.
Nylon, polyester, and rayon are examples of non-biodegradable fabrics. They’re often manufactured with petroleum and treated with many chemicals, including formaldehyde. They produce gases that are more harmful to the environment than carbon dioxide.
The benefits of sustainable clothing
There are many benefits to sustainable fashion, both for the environment and the people who wear it.
1. Supporting the planet’s greater good
Today, it has been proven that consumers choose to support companies that give back to society rather than those that don’t. Knowing that our money is going towards a good cause makes us feel great by purchasing from a firm that supports a worthwhile cause.
2. Reduces The Pollution
The fashion industry is the second most polluting industry globally, just behind oil. The chemicals used to grow, dye, and treat our clothes pollute our waterways and negatively impact the environment. Sustainable clothing brands use natural dyes and materials that are not harmful to the planet.
3. Fair Labor Practices
Sustainable clothing brands often work with small scale artisans and producers who are paid a fair wage. This ensures that the people who make our clothes are treated fairly and receive a livable wage.
4. Durable
Sustainable clothing is often made from higher quality materials meant to last. This saves you money in the long run, but it also reduces the number of clothes in landfills.
How to be a sustainable fashion brand
To be a truly sustainable fashion brand, you need to consider every aspect of your business. From the fabrics, you use to how you manufacture your products to how you package and ship them. Sustainable fashion is about making choices that positively impact people and the planet.
There are a few key things you can do to make your brand more sustainable:
Planning:
You need to think about
- what you want your brand to achieve
- and what kind of impact you want to make.
- What are your core values?
- What does sustainability mean to you?
Once you have a clear idea of your goals, you can start making choices that align with your values.
Environmental Considerations
The fashion industry has a substantial environmental impact, you can reduce your footprint by choosing:
- Build factories that generate renewable energy
- Minimize water waste and pollution.
- Hold manufacturing facilities to the highest standards to protect workers’ safety and rights.
- Use sustainable materials like organic cotton, bamboo, and hemp.
- Avoid using synthetic materials that release microplastics into the environment.
- Make sure your customers understand your commitment to sustainability.
- Educate your employees about the importance of sustainability.
- Work with sustainable suppliers who share your values.
Resource & Waste Considerations
A typical garment goes through more than 10 different processes and passes through the hands of 30 different workers before it reaches the consumer.
To reduce waste, you need to:
- Calculate the demand for resources, including initial extraction.
- Avoid synthetic or natural materials that are energy, land, and water-intensive.
- Avoid textiles that are produced from fossil fuels.
- Encourage customers to recycle or donate their clothes.
- Partner with organizations that repurpose or recycle textiles.
- Design products that are built to last.
- Make use of environmentally responsible packaging materials.
Social Considerations
To ensure that your brand is socially sustainable, you need to:
- Ensure your manufacturing promotes SDG advancement.
- All workers have safe and fair working conditions
- No child labour is used in any part of the process
- Wages are living wages
- Local communities benefit from the employment generated by the company
- There is no discrimination based on race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation.
- Support sustainable initiatives in the communities where you operate.
- Be transparent about your business practices.
- Lead by example and inspire others to do the same.
Sustainable fashion brands
There are many great sustainable fashion brands out there doing amazing things to make the industry more Sustainable. A few of my favourites include:
- Eileen Fisher
- Patagonia
- Everlane
- Nisolo
- ABLE
There are several great labels that aid in the sustainable development of fashion. Do some research and discover a Sustainable brand to help you start your own.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a more sustainable way to clothe your company, we can help! Our team of experts in Lezhou Garment are well-versed in the world of eco-friendly fashion and can help you get started on the right foot. Contact us today for more information about our services.
We look forward to helping you make your brand more sustainable!