Who are sustainable and ethical brands now?
After considering what it means to be a sustainable and Ethical mass market clothing brand, it’ s key to look into brands which are already taking on responsibility to make a difference. H & M is now considered one of the most sustainable and is positioning itself as the ethical solution, the retailer that can make ethics and fast fashion synonymous even though it sells 550 million garments every year( Siegle, 2015). Their most recent sustainability report states nearly 2.5 million shoes were made last year using lower-impact water-based solvents, all building contractors have signed a code of conduct to guarantee“ good” working conditions, and H & M uses more organic cotton in production than anyone else. This year, 7.6 % of its cotton was organic( it’ s estimated H & M’ s overall cotton use to be around 200,000 tonnes a year), by 2020 100 % will be sustainably sourced cotton( Cronin, 2016). They have also set a goal of becoming 100 % circular which means seeing waste as a resource”, these results prove to consumers they aren’ t just being greenwashed with another marketing scheme.
Zara sold a staggering 1,177,784,343 items in 2015, which means they have such a large audience of consumers globally that they have the potential to impact its vast system of suppliers, factories and brickand-mortar stores. In reply to H & M’ s“ conscious collection Zara released their“ join life” campaign in 2015 however this hasn’ t been received as well as H & M’ s collection because their sustainable collection is around 50 % more expensive than their usual items which isn’ t going to be chosen by mass market consumers when they can get it at half the price from the same place. However, it seems so far Zara have been more focused on“ eco-efficient” stores, and decreasing electricity consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. In 2015, it started reusing packing supplies as part of its 2020 goal of no landfill waste( FERNANDEZ, 2016). It’ s clear Zara are trying to make a conscious effort to become sustainable however they aren’ t keeping up with H & M who already have results.
Another high street retailer, Monsoon Accessorize, has been working towards more sustainable and ethical practices but from a different angle to H & M and Zara, they were a founding member of the Ethical Trading Initiative, so its obligation to fair fashion is a longstanding one. It bases its code of conduct on ETI standards, and works with suppliers to meet them while also having an active program of audits and unexpected visits. When it comes to sustainability they use a softly-softly approach towards their customers by offering them vouchers when they return items of clothing much like H & M, they are also providing to an older demographic to H & M and Zara, which is why their price points of clothing are higher and so is a quality because the older generation have more of disposable income, this higher pricing has allowed them to support a program to help Indian cotton farmers to change to organic production( Baker, 2016). It also has a program of reducing energy use at its stores, and reducing waste and of store fittings and features which was discussed with James Macaulay their Uk and international Store development and procurement manager in a recent primary research interview. He also stated“ We as a brand will always strive for more when it comes to sustainability and ethics and will always continue funding our charity The Monsoon Accessorize trust, funding women and children from under developed countries”.
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