EVEREVE

Kari Ihle

Sustainability is becoming increasingly important for fashion and retail brands, as the negative impacts of the industry on the environment and society have become more apparent. Fashion is one of the most polluting industries in the world, with massive amounts of waste, water usage, and greenhouse gas emissions. Added to that, consumers are becoming more aware of the need for sustainability and are demanding that brands take responsibility for their environmental and social impact. Sustainable fashion brands must prioritize using eco-friendly and ethically sourced materials, reducing waste, and ensuring fair labor practices. By investing in more sustainable strategies, fashion brands not only reduce their negative impact on the planet and people but also build trust with consumers who prioritize environmentally conscious and ethical practices. Ultimately, incorporating circularity and sustainability into business practices is crucial for fashion brands to stay relevant and competitive in an increasingly environmentally conscious world.

Conversely, sustainability and eco-friendly labels and declarations by brands come with more and more risk, as consumers become more informed, and regulations provide guides for accountability and structure for lawsuits. It is becoming more crucial that brands fully understand the complete footprint and lifecycle of all aspects of their products and carefully share information to consumers. In some cases, as brands launch new sustainability road maps and initiatives, a less is more approach to communications, may be the best way to start. Ideally, creating transparency regarding production processes and true social and environmental impact of all areas of the business will be important to share with consumers to mitigate risk. This includes being straightforward with successes and failures. That true authenticity is what consumers are looking for, and what will lead to more positive outcomes for brands in the long run.

“Creating transparency regarding production processes and true social and environmental impact of all areas of the business will be important to share with consumers to mitigate risk.”

Sustainability, being such a complicated issue and problems for all areas of the world, makes it increasingly important for the fashion industry to partner together, even with competitors. There are already brands ‘working’ together in a race to zero through an effort launched by brands Amazon, Walmart, Ikea, and H&M Group. The Race to Zero Breakthroughs: Retail Campaign, works to inspire other retailers to commit to significantly reducing their greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 and getting to net zero by 2050. But being able to make commitments like this and joining partnerships requires investment through consultants, creating a sustainability department and implementing a tracking and reporting software. These daunting investments can often dissuade smaller brands and prevent them from starting any sustainability efforts. However, we need smaller brands and companies to be part of the larger solutions for the retail industry to create successful change. 

If a fashion brand does not yet have a focus on sustainability, there are several steps they can take to start their sustainability journey. Here are a few:

1. Conduct a sustainability audit: Conduct this audit to assess current environmental and social impact. This will help brands identify additional areas where improvements can be made and prioritize actions to take next. This may require an initial investment to work with a sustainability consultant or hire your first sustainability leader for your organization. A way to keep costs lower and invest in furthering research and education is to partner with colleges and universities to help begin the process.

2. Develop a sustainability plan: Once the sustainability audit is complete, the brands can develop a sustainability plan outlining goals, targets, and action steps. The plan should focus on the most critical areas of impact identified during the audit, such as reducing waste, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, reducing water use and waste, using sustainable materials and improving labor practices. This is another area where a partnership with college and university programs can be a big value. They can help to develop and set a brand up to monitor and development reporting methods.

3. Educate staff and stakeholders: It is essential to educate staff and stakeholders on sustainability and the brand's sustainability plan. This can be done through training sessions, internal communication, or sustainability reports.

4. Educate consumers: Help consumers understand how to extend the life of purchases, how to care for them and what to do with them at the end of their useful life. Reselling, take-back programs, and reuse strategies. The longer products stay in use, the smaller their footprint.

5. Start with easy wins: This is crucial to build momentum and demonstrate progress. For example, the brand can begin by reducing waste by implementing recycling programs, switching to eco-friendly packaging or encouraging product designers to start with circularity, regenerative practices and recycling of materials from the beginning.

6. Collaborate with industry partners: This can help the fashion brand gain insights and knowledge on sustainability and best practices. This can include joining industry associations, attending sustainability-focused events, or partnering with other sustainable fashion brands.

Beginning a sustainability process in any company will not be easy and quick, but brands that do not start on this process now will be left behind by those ahead of the game when regulations extend beyond California and New York, if customers haven’t already demanded the change by taking their business else where.