Is this truly sustainable?

Determining whether a brand or product is sustainable goes beyond what its promotional materials say; it is important to dig deeper.

The article Understanding Sustainability touched on the various stages of fashion, from sourcing to disposal. We want to go a little deeper into the production stage. This addresses how fashion brands source, manufacture, and distribute their clothing. Manufacturers, retailers, and consumers play a role in clothing sustainability, but this process starts with the manufacturer. It’s the first point to get it right. How we design is very important. I’ll use TED’s Ten Sustainable Design Strategies and Considerate Design and the Designer to analyze how design and manufacturing can aid and facilitate sustainability.

TED’s ten sustainable design strategies were developed by the Textiles Environment Design (TED) project. It lays out different ways we design, and it is also helpful for the consumer to understand and analyze through these strategies if the products they buy are sustainable. The first is “Design to minimize waste,” a core aspect of sustainability. Sustainability seeks to keep things in use for as long as possible. This is why you would often hear the“circular model.” This is a crucial thing to look out for when purchasing garments. Ask, “Was this designed to last?” When you pick up a shirt or any piece of clothing at the store, think about how the fabric feels and how long it will withstand wear and tear.

Front of a vintage shop on Kensington Market, Toronto.

Design for recycling and upcycling “explains how when you design for recycling/upcycling, the thought process anticipates the practice of recycling and re-purposing textiles.” (Black & Earley, 2012, p. 87). Natural fibres are degradable; synthetic fibres are not. When buying products with synthetic fibres, you must consider that these synthetic fabrics will likely exist on earth forever. Fashion companies love fibres like polyester because they are cheaper to use and produce but are far less sustainable. You might have heard of recycled polyester and think your polyester shirt or dress can be recycled and reused. The truth is that recycled polyester is made from plastic, so your polyester will still end up in a landfill. According to Chua (2020), recycled polyester is recycled mechanically, which means it cannot be recycled a second time, let alone multiple times.

Design for ethical production looks at how products are made, the lives and working conditions of workers who make these garments, and the traditional crafts and skills that go into the production of the garment. The fashion industry is notorious for its deplorable working conditions. In the documentary “The True Cost,” we see some of the conditions under which workers in third-world countries are made to produce the garments we wear. When buying from brands, we should look into how and where they produce and manufacture. We should also check to see that they are not appropriating traditional means of production and that they compensate the local artisans they work with appropriately.

The front of a thrift store at Kensington market. 

Design to replace the need to consume this is done by designing products that last. The emergence of fast fashion has produced a huge problem; we are buying more clothes and using them for less time. By purchasing garments that are made to last, you will be buying less and using the things you buy more and for longer. Other aspects of TED’s ten sustainable design strategies are Design to reduce chemical impacts, Design to reduce energy and water use, Design that explores clean and better technologies, Design that looks at models from nature and history, Design to dematerialize and develop systems and services, and Design activism.

“The Considerate Design concept creates new links between sustainability, personalization and cost within the fashion design and production process.” (Black & Eckert, 2012, p. 94). The Considerate Design concept considers that sustainability can often be a vast subject for designers that “paralyze rather than motivate” them; this is also true for consumers. The Considerate Design concept looks at various factors that contribute to the environmental impact of a product. How do designers design for durability and a long and lasting product life? If it is fast fashion, we know it wasn’t made to last. Slow fashion takes proper care in producing garments that are of high quality and will last many years to come. Is this product designed for sustainable disposal? Think again about the little thing on recycling we touched on earlier. Will it degrade? Can it be recycled? What is the ease of use and maintenance? How much energy and water will be utilized to care for and launder this item? You want to purchase an efficient and purposeful product while requiring minimal energy and water use for its maintenance.

Signage in front of a vintage shop at Kensington Market, Toronto.

The Considerate Design concept, like TED’s ten sustainable design strategies, emphasizes supply ethics. Are workers being paid fairly for their work locally and overseas? How transparent are brands about their production and manufacturing processes? It’s also important to note how receptive brands are to learning from their mistakes. Do they redefine their production practices? What efforts do they make to analyze and see areas they could do better? If all they talk about is how good they are doing, they’re likely not doing that well.

Remember that a brand’s promotional materials aim to get you to buy; they will make themselves look good. A brand will rely on its strengths in its promotional strategy; this doesn’t necessarily mean it is dishonest, but it could be inflating its strengths while mitigating its weaknesses. It is important to closely examine what a brand is saying and how it is actually doing, going deeper into the non-consumer-facing practices.

A key factor to being sustainable is buying the right product. The truth is, if you buy a product that was produced with care and is of high quality, you are more likely to care for it properly and ensure that it lasts a long time. Understanding if a product or a brand is genuinely sustainable goes a long way in being sustainable. You can know whether to buy a product or not, and you can also see when a brand is overstating its sustainability practices and know to stay away from that brand.

References

Black, S. (2012). The sustainable fashion handbook. Thames & Hudson.

Chua, J. M. (2020, March 10). Is recycled polyester green or greenwashing? Common Objective. https:// www.commonobjective.co/article/is-recycled-polyester-green-or-greenwashing

Life Is My Movie Entertainment. (2022, May 22). The true cost [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=rwp0Bx0awoE

Textiles Environment Design. (n.d.). The ten. Textile Toolbox. http://www.textiletoolbox.com/the-ten/