The world has been more aware of climate change in recent years. Scientists from all across the world have demonstrated to us the startling realities and the issues we will soon be confronting. Sustainability is now recognized as more than a passing fad. We are aware that in order to resolve this situation, immediate action and significant adjustments are required. More and more business owners and organizations are working to combat climate change and discover sustainable alternatives.
The truth is that we already have all the answers we require. Natural resources, renewable resources, vegan food substitutes, and all available technologies. Therefore, we should be asking ourselves, “Why aren’t we all already living sustainable lives?” What is lacking or preventing us?
People are becoming more concerned with what they wear and how it impacts the environment on a global scale. We spend a lot of money on clothing but discard a lot of it. The fashion business has traditionally prioritized fresh styles and trends, rarely considering their long-term viability.
People despise fashion sustainability. In actuality, people don’t care about sustainability when they purchase attractive clothing. In a survey conducted this past summer by Kalesis Research, 41% of the 2,000 respondents questioned indicated they didn’t care about brands that supported environmental projects. This explanation of why people dislike sustainability in fashion—and why they ought to support it—will be provided.
1. People hate sustainability in fashion because it’s too green and natural to consume
Fashion has started to become more sustainable and eco-friendly in recent years, but there are still plenty of people who refuse to partake. The fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world. It’s just not sustainable because it consumes too many resources, the factories aren’t eco-friendly enough, and there are too many waste products being dumped into our oceans.
People hate sustainability in fashion because it’s too green and natural to consume. They want something that’s made out of plastic or synthetic materials that can be easily disposed of and replaced once they’ve worn out or become unfashionable.
Read Also: How do You Buy Sustainable Products?
Fashion has started to become more sustainable and eco-friendly in recent years, but there are still plenty of people who refuse to partake. The fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world. It’s just not sustainable because it consumes too many resources, the factories aren’t eco-friendly enough, and there are too many waste products being dumped into our oceans.
2. Only the privileged can afford to care about sustainability in fashion.
Only the privileged can afford to care about sustainability in fashion.
That’s what people think, at least. And it’s true that the world’s most expensive brands tend to be the ones with a reputation for sustainability, because of the high price tags that come with organic materials and environmentally-friendly manufacturing processes. The idea that only the wealthy can afford to shop sustainably might be valid, but it’s also self-perpetuating: if we assume that only wealthy people care about sustainable fashion, then only wealthy people will shop for sustainable fashion, which means only the wealthy can afford to care about sustainability in fashion. So it goes.
But you don’t have to spend a ton of money on a new wardrobe to care about sustainability in fashion. There are many ways to get involved without breaking the bank. Here are some ideas:
1. Buy secondhand clothing instead of new
2. Learn how to sew and mend your own clothes
3. Buy clothes made from recycled materials such as plastic bottles or old tires
3. Sustainability in fashion makes us question our values and beliefs.
When we talk about sustainability in fashion, we’re talking about a lot more than just what we wear. We’re talking about our tastes, our style, and the way that we define ourselves as individuals.
A lot of people don’t like to be told that their lifestyle isn’t good enough. We’ve all seen snarky Instagram comments from people who think they know better than you about what’s good for you, the environment, and our planet. It’s uncomfortable and it makes us mad-and no one likes to be told that they are bad or wrong or not helping enough.
But at Madsbay, we know that being eco-friendly doesn’t mean being judgmental or sanctimonious-it means being aware and working toward a better future for all of us.
4. Sustainable fashion is a niche market.
Sustainable fashion is a niche market. It is a hard sell for consumers who are not that aware of the issue of sustainability. This is because sustainable fashion is not widely available like other fast-fashion brands.
Guilt is associated with buying clothes for many people. And if you are really concerned with the environmental impact and social issues associated with fast fashion, then guilt can be a huge reason why you might not want to buy clothes at all. Even when you know that buying sustainable clothing is better for the planet and people, it can still be hard to buy clothes when you have that internal conflict about buying more stuff in general.
Many sustainable fashion brands are very expensive. They need to use higher quality materials and higher quality manufacturing processes to make their products last longer and meet their sustainability standards, which makes them more expensive than fast fashion brands that use cheap materials that are easy to mass produce at low costs.
5. Sustainable fashion is all about the environment, not people.
Sustainable fashion is a lot about the environment, but there’s also a lot that focuses on people-namely, the people who make the clothes you wear.
The biggest reason people hate sustainable clothing is because they think it’s ugly, but one of our favorite things about sustainable fashion is that it can be just as stylish and fashionable as anything else. And let’s face it: if it’s not good-looking, you’re not going to wear it, which means we aren’t helping anyone. The main point of sustainability is to reduce waste and environmental impact, so if you’re not wearing what you buy, then we aren’t making much of an impact!
That’s why we’ve spent so much time working with designers to create styles that are beautiful while also being conscious of their impact on both the planet and the people who make them. We know that when something looks good and makes you feel good, you’ll keep wearing it-which means our efforts are working!
6. Brands use sustainable labels for marketing purposes only.
Making clothes is dirty. The fashion industry is one of the largest contributors of pollution in the world. It’s also the second-biggest consumer of water, and it uses toxic dyes that have devastating effects on the environment. So, naturally, brands are trying to do better.
The problem is that being “green” has been co-opted by companies for marketing purposes only. Sometimes brands will claim to be sustainable when they’re not; other times, companies call themselves eco-friendly because their products are made from organic materials, but the process of production is still toxic or wasteful. With sustainability fatigue setting in-and with so many people left unsure as to whether they can really trust a brand’s green claims-it’s no wonder consumers are skeptical about sustainability in fashion.
7. The concept of sustainability is difficult to understand.
The concept of sustainability is difficult to understand. There are many definitions for what sustainability means, but the most commonly accepted definition is that sustainability is a way of meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. This concept can be applied to many different areas, but it applies specifically to fashion when we consider the environmental impact of clothing production, transportation, and disposal.
Often, people don’t understand how or why something like fashion could cause such significant environmental damage-but it does. For example, the fashion industry contributes 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions and makes up 35% of all microplastic pollution in our oceans. The average American throws away more than 70 pounds of clothing every single year-and 70% of that clothing will end up in landfills by 2050.
These facts can seem bleak at first glance, but they reveal important truths about how we should think about our relationship with fashion and how we can improve it.
8. Sustainability in fashion isn’t fully understood by retailers, manufacturers, or consumers.
Sustainability in fashion is a huge trend, with many retailers and manufacturers looking for ways to be more environmentally friendly, but there are also some people who just don’t get it.
For retailers and manufacturers, there may be some confusion over what the term actually means. For example, a brand might think that using recycled plastic bottles to make clothing automatically makes them sustainable-but that’s not necessarily true. If their manufacturing processes waste energy or water, use toxic chemicals, or employ unfair labor practices, then they aren’t really sustainable. A designer might know this but still not want to change their methods because they’re afraid of losing customers.
For consumers, it may be difficult to understand why they should care about sustainability in fashion at all-especially if they’re already following trends like fast fashion or buying clothes from big-name brands with low prices.
9. It’s impossible to create a 100% sustainable product.
The question of sustainability in fashion is a tricky one. There are many reasons people hate it, but the most common reason is that they believe it’s impossible to create a completely sustainable product.
It’s true that sustainability can be difficult to achieve, depending on your company’s size, scope, and available resources. However, it’s not impossible! Even small changes can have a big impact on the environment. The fact is that you’re never going to reach perfection in this area, but if you make an effort to improve even a little bit-or even stay the same that’s still better than doing nothing at all.
10. Sustainability seems magical and unattainable, people often misunderstand or misrepresent the definition of sustainability.
First and foremost, we’d like to dispel the notion that sustainability is something unattainable, or magical, or difficult to understand. Sustainability is simply about reducing your negative impact on the Earth. In today’s world, that’s a pretty tall order for anyone; it involves re-evaluating almost every aspect of your life. But if you’re fashion-focused, you can take those first steps by considering how you consume fashion and making a few changes.
There are many ways to practice sustainability in fashion: buy used clothes from thrift stores (or even second-hand from friends!), donate your old clothes instead of tossing them out, buy products made entirely from organic materials, etc. These are just a few examples-there are many other ways to make your footprint smaller and help reduce the damage being done to our planet!
Shopping data on millennials can be misleading. Studies by Sustainable Brands and Eco Pulse claim that over 75 percent of millennials are willing to spend more to buy products that support sustainability. The problem is that these studies were collected by surveys and questionnaires. None of these studies actually looked at and reviewed millennial spending behavior. The reality of their spending is actually very different.
To a large extent, millennials have written off green brands. The truth is that millennial customers simply aren’t willing to compromise. In my experience as both a millennial consumer and the founder of the nontoxic laundry company Cleancult, I’ve gained some insights on how to market sustainable products.
To market to millennials successfully, you must first convince them of why you have the most effective and well-designed product and then support that with a genuinely sustainable supply chain. If companies radically shift their marketing, then we can bring about very different millennial purchasing patterns, helping them turn their good intentions into action. That could have a major impact. Millennials’ spending power is roughly $3.5 billion dollars annually. If a large share of this went to environmentally responsible purchasing, the global supply chain would be revolutionized.
