Modern day consumers are far more conscious of their effect on the environment than their predecessors, for whom nylon and polyester was the new big thing. Consumers are much more educated than they were, and like to research products before buying them to ensure they are not only getting the best bang for their buck, but the best quality and even the most eco-friendly products that they can get.
Words like “eco-friendly” and “sustainable” are coming up more and more often in searches that consumers are doing when they look into the things they are interested in buying. Marketing companies are not unaware of this, and are happy to use it to their advantage when trying to drive consumers to their brands. Even the fashion industry is not exempt from this new wave of consumer concern over the effect we, as a species, are having on the environment around us.
How many companies are really willing to sacrifice what has always worked for them before in order to refit their businesses to manufacture truly sustainable goods? Unfortunately, many fashion brands just don’t back up their eco-friendly claims with hard facts or integrity. For example, a company may call its garments “sustainable” because they are using organically grown cotton, but even if they are using organically grown cotton that doesn’t mean that the garment is truly sustainable.
The garments may have been made halfway across the world in a sweatshop that pays its workers poorly. Ensuring fair pay and working conditions for employees is part and parcel of sustainability. Then you also have to consider shipping costs – how much oil was expended to move your garments from the sweatshop to your local department store? Companies often charge a premium on garments that are marked as sustainable, even if it doesn’t really cost them any more to produce the sustainable garments than it does to produce non-sustainable ones.
Earth Day probably sounds like a great reason to start updating your wardrobe with more socially conscious clothing, but make sure that you take a good hard look at just how your garments are getting from the hands that made them to your hands when you hold them. Still, striving to be eco-friendly is a praise-worthy endeavor which some stores take quite seriously, so it might be a good idea to check the offers.
Although those items tend to be rather expensive, you can get great deals and reductions on your purchases with, for instance, a promo code for Overstock.com. Keep your eyes open and compare all the possibilities to become a conscious shopper.
