Checking the Sustainability of Brands Online
While shopping online it is important to check the sustainability and ethics of the company you are purchasing from. The first thing to do when checking the production practices of a company is to see if they have an “about” section. If their website has an “about” section, that is generally where the company will keep information about how they produce their clothing. Or possibly under a section labeled “sustainability”, or something along those lines. If the website does not contain an easily-accessible page about their current practices and/or future plan for sustainability, that is a bad sign.
A great example of a company with a very transparent “about” page is Girlfriend Collective; a sustainable brand that focuses on activewear. The page contains information about both the benefits and downfalls of their methods of production. The page admits to issues with the fabrics they use, specifically that the clothing produces microplastics, but the brand also states they are committed to reducing their carbon footprint and explains how they utilize recycled materials to create their clothing.
The underwear brand Parade, which makes their underwear out of recycled materials, has an information page that is slightly less detailed. It focuses mostly on future plans to improve sustainability instead of their current methods, which leaves the reader not fully educated on the business.
The clothing brand H&M is a large brand with a section on sustainability containing tons of information. H&M is currently far less sustainable as a whole company than the two previously mentioned brands, but the Fashion Transparency Index by Fashion Revolution ranked H&M as the most transparent brand in terms of sustainability out of the top 250 largest global brands. And the H&M website does have detailed information on their current practices and goals for the future of their brand. On top of that, they provide information on sustainability in fashion that is unrelated to their business simply to help educate readers.
On the other hand, Forever 21, a fast fashion brand, does not have easily accessible information on how they produce their clothing. This should be a red flag for shoppers. Also, information about Forever 21 using unethical business practices has come out in the past. So, the lack of transparency provided by the brand should make prospective customers suspicious and lead them to consider researching a company’s practices if the brand does not provide that information. A Google search can often unveil exposés on clothing companies, especially large companies who are labeled as fast fashion.
Another tip is to use the website Good On You. Good On You ranks the sustainability, ethics, and price of different clothing brands from “avoid” to “great”. The website also posts articles on recent developments in sustainable fashion and information on current environmental issues. On the “journal” page, they also provide their suggestions for best value sustainable items. Altogether, Good On You is a great resource to help you learn about brands and choose how you shop.
Overall, to determine how sustainable a company is, it is important to see how open the brand is about their production practices and read information about how they make their clothing.
