Are there truly sustainable brands? No, I don’t think so.
Brands such as Pangaia also speak about this. They position themselves as friendly to the Planet but do not engage in greenwashing and directly say that they are not sustainable. This is the truth – fashion brands can not be sustainable yet.
The purpose of this material is to show that every action is important, and no matter how much we do to improve the ecological situation on the Planet, and most importantly, that we are doing at least something. I also understand that many brands cannot do everything at once, so it is so important to choose brands that do at least something real. I also believe that we can refuse to consume in an ideal world, but I am a realist, which is why I encourage everyone to do what they can – it is to vote with their money for brands that do at least something real. Voting with money is essential. And to vote correctly and carry your money in exchange for goods to the right brands, you need to understand the minimum of what is important, what greenwashing is and how to choose the right brands. I will try to explain to you in this article in simple terms.
Greenwashing is when companies project an eco-friendly image that is untrue. In general, I think that greenwashing is our leading problem today. Let’s take big sports brands that tell customers that they make things out of plastic and that these are their top sustainable company priorities.
Why are plastic things bad?
There are at least two very stable arguments for this: the first is that items made of plastic release even more microplastics into the ocean when washed. Microplastics have recently been discovered even in human blood. The second is the mindset they create with the public. People are starting to think that using single-use plastic is not so bad because a big company will then make clothes out of it, and the problem is solved. This gives people a reason, an excuse to use single-use plastic. What are other tricks popular for greenwashing the population? Let’s say a company is talking about using plastic from the ocean to make their products. Most often, I would say 99% is a lie. Why? Plastic found in the ocean is impossible to separate, recycle or reuse. Where do they get plastic from if not from the ocean? This plastic usually found around 50 miles from the shore and is called ocean-bound plastic. In fact, companies should be honest about this. Not only is plastic from the ocean incredibly difficult to separate, but even if it were possible, the whole process would be so expensive that sneakers would cost five times as much if they were made from plastic actually pulled from the ocean. “50 kilometers of potential problems Jambeck’s research uncovered that the vast majority of ocean plastic originates within 50 kilometers (or 30 miles) of the world’s coastlines. And while that is a tiny fraction of the total global landmass, it is home to two billion people who have over the generations built their cities, fishing villages and livelihoods close to the oceans.” https://sustainablebrands.com/read/chemistry-materials-packaging/what-is-ocean-bound-plastic-and-should-it-be-our-focus
“Rafi Schieir, an international distributor for ‘Ocean Bound Plastic’ said, “Right now and at scale, there is no such thing as recycled ocean plastic.” https://logicdetector.substack.com/p/why-recycled-ocean-plastic-is-often?s=r
When a company says that clothes are made from recycled plastic bottles, it is necessary to understand that what is the minimum percentage of all plastic and that a shirt made of plastic does not free us from the problem of plastic pollution on our Planet.
So back to our topic, sustainable brands do not exist. What should we consumers do? How to choose the most eco-friendly brands or give up. Don’t give up; of course, I can tell you that the best solution is not to buy; just like brands can say, the best solution is not to make, but let’s get back to our real world.
In fact, it is easy to distinguish between brands that are engaged in greenwashing and those that really do something for the Planet.
What do we need to pay attention to?
First, pay attention to the social initiatives of the brand. Does it participate in the 1% for the Planet; transfer any funds to other organizations. Patagonia example: “Since 1985, Patagonia has pledged 1% of sales to the preservation and restoration of the natural environment. We’ve awarded over $140 million in cash and in-kind donations to domestic and international grassroots environmental groups making a difference in their local communities. In 2002, founder of Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard, and Craig Mathews, owner of Blue Ribbon Flies, created a non-profit corporation to encourage other businesses to do the same. 1% for the Planet is an alliance of businesses that understand the necessity of protecting the natural environment. They understand that profit and loss are directly linked to its health, and are concerned with the social and environmental impacts of industry.” https://www.patagonia.com/one-percent-for-the-planet.html
Secondly, information about factories and production disclosed, where the product is made, and what the factories are doing for the Planet is very important. This is a significant point to know where the fabric supplies come from, how they are dyed, where the production is, whether employees are paid honest salaries, etc. For example, Pangaia and their dyeing process: “Our approach today, there is no one magic solution that addresses all the issues with textile dyeing. We work with the best available dyes and dyeing techniques that address one or more of these problems to reduce our footprint as much as possible.
In parallel, we’re constantly searching for new solutions and partnering with innovators to scale the next generation of dyes that are kinder to the Planet. Watch this space, we have exciting innovations coming soon and we can’t wait to share them with you.” https://pangaia.com/pages/dyes-and-the-dyeing-process
Another example is ON Running brand and their Ethical Sourcing: “Since the beginning, choosing the right partners has been a priority for On. We only work with those that share our values and vision. And it’s been a big part of our success.” https://www.on-running.com/en-us/articles/ethical-sourcing
https://www.on-running.com/en-us/articles/category/sustainability
Thirdly, look at what materials the brand uses and where they come from. Is Recycled Polyester Green or Greenwashing?
The problem is that polyester is not a sustainable textile option, as it is made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the most common type of plastic in the world. In short, the majority of our clothes come from crude oil (Fossil fuels, such as crude oil, coal, and natural gas, are formed below the Earth’s surface over millions of years. The extraction and refining of fossil fuels is energy and chemically intensive and is linked to water poisoning, air and land pollution, smog, and—the big one—global warming. Fossil fuels can’t be replenished naturally at the rate we consume them. They are considered non-renewable, which also makes our use of them both unsustainable and imbalanced. https://pangaia.com/pages/our-stance-on-synthetics). So, is recycled polyester our way out? Recycled polyester, also known as rPET:“Recycled polyester, also known as rPET, is obtained by melting down existing plastic and re-spinning it into new polyester fiber. While much attention is given to rPET made from plastic bottles and containers thrown away by consumers, in reality polyethylene terephthalate can be recycled from both post-industrial and post-consumer input materials. But, just to give an example, five soda bottles yield enough fiber for one extra large T-shirt.”
“rPET is just as good as virgin polyester, but takes less resources to make – Recycled polyester is almost the same as virgin polyester in terms of quality, but its production requires 59 percent less energy compared to virgin polyester, according to a 2017 study by the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment. WRAP estimates rPET’s production to reduce CO2 emissions by 32 percent in comparison to regular polyester. “If you look at life cycle assessments, rPET scores significantly better than virgin PET,” adds Magruder.” https://fashionunited.uk/news/fashion/how-sustainable-is-recycled-polyester/2018111540000
On the one hand, as we can see, this can be a way out and a problem. Let’s say microplastics, about which I wrote earlier. Also, recycled materials release even more microplastics during washing. In addition, there are other problems, such as that the materials are not so durable and a virgin resource must be added to them. Recycled polyester is generally better than virgin polyester, but natural materials are better. Giving preference to organic cotton and wool materials, we can talk about eco-friendly clothing choices.
If you are interested, you can also study the Greenpeace report: “In this report, we witness a diferent reality. Recycling technologies for the one hundred percent recycling of both natural and synthetic textile waste into new fibres are at an early stage. Much of the current recycling of polyester by the textile industry does not even deal with textiles waste; instead this “open loop” recycling focusses on PET bottles, removing responsibility from the food and beverage industry for single use plastics. Initiatives by some brands for recycling plastics waste reclaimed from the sea have more impact on their public relations profiles than on the huge problem of plastics pollution of the oceans. The industry is mostly turning a blind eye to the inherent problems of polyester, in particular its reliance on fossil fuels and its contribution to the problem of microplastic fibres in the aquatic environment.” https://www.greenpeace.org/international/publication/6969/fashion-at-the-crossroads/
What else are brands doing?
I could ask what they don’t do, and we could judge how much they can do, but for now, let’s look at positive brand initiatives. Let’s say I like the Luluemon initiative with their clothes LIKENEW https://likenew.lululemon.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Brand_PPC_LIKENEW-2021&content=lululemon_like_new&keyword=lululemon%20like%20new&gclid=Cj0KCQjwgYSTBhDKARIsAB8KukvK4oMvOBjiPOECscywgr_1BzFmaM4-8y_HNJDoGFzybLSM3d-g0UkaAmeEEALw_wcB . If you don’t want your clothes or feel like you don’t wear them anymore, you can send them back, and they will sell them. For this, you will receive a minimum credit, things will be washed, a new label will be attached to them and sold on the site, and all the output will go to some environmental programs.
“When you trade in your gently worn gear to a local store, Like New will refresh it for someone else. You’ll receive credit you can use on lululemon gear. Together, we can build a circular ecosystem. *Trade-in available in lululemon stores across the U.S. on April 22, 2022”
This is not a bad idea, which leads us to think about what else can we do?
What am I doing? I try to sell and buy things of third-party resale sites like POSHMARK. Also, besides this site, I sell and buy at stores like https://www.buffaloexchange.com and https://crossroadstrading.com ! I adore them; you can find everything you need in a second-hand store. A lot depends on the location, but you can buy everything you need in my city. Also, I send all things that are not for sale and no longer used to the https://crossroadstrading.com; why to this one? Since they accept stuff by mail. You can make an appointment and come in person, or you can order a package by mail, put things in it and send them a note that they can donate everything they won’t take to charity.
I think it’s important to question what brands are telling us. Asking if their initiatives are really eco-friendly or if it’s just for marketing. Indeed, in fact, all greenwashing is just for creating a positive brand image. Asking questions, pushing brands to do better and more is also our open opportunity to change the industry for the better. I understand that let’s say I, as an athlete, own a huge amount of polyester clothing. As I already wrote, I try to give all the clothes to stores for secondary sale or sell them myself. I try to buy less or buy second-hand clothes. Well, study what brands do what for the planet and tell people about it.
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