Incorporating Sustainability Without Coming Across as Greenwashing
In a world where fast fashion brands are shouting from their rooftops that they're sustainable, it's scary for genuinely conscious brands to communicate their efforts since there's a threat of coming across as greenwashing.
Our amazing clients who are genuinely conscious and do so much good in the world, are always afraid of communicating their efforts because they’re scared of backlash and coming across as greenwashing. Whereas fast fashion brands that aren’t doing much are shouting from the rooftops until they’re blue in the face that they’re sustainable — ruined it for everyone else.
But for brands out there that are genuinely conscious, you must communicate your efforts because there is a need to do so to educate and inform customers, but also stand out and set yourself apart so that you can get the support you need and funding you need to continue to make a positive impact on the industry.
Before we start, I know there’s a lot of pressure to be “perfectly sustainable” and I just wanted to say that there is no such thing as a truly 110% sustainable brand. I’ve talked about this before on the podcast — Episode 114 “Does Sustainability Even Exist?” but if you were truly sustainable, we would all just do nothing and sit at home all day.
The true essence of sustainability is all about balance — how do you balance taking what you need in the present day while leaving enough for future generations?
So with all of that being said, how do you incorporate sustainability into your brand without coming across as greenwashing? I have six steps for you and I will outline them in this blog post.
1. Sustainability Priorities and Strategy
Your budget, resources, and time can be limited and you cannot take it upon your shoulders to carry the whole problem of the fashion industry alone. Instead, pick the areas you want to make a difference in and do them well. We deep dive into this topic in Episode 116: Incorporating Sustainability With Limited Funds, Resources, and Time.
2. Sustainability Roadmap
You have to take note that sustainability doesn’t happen overnight. You don’t just wake up one day and your brand is instantly more conscious. It takes years so that’s why you have to look at the big picture — what do you want to accomplish in the next 1, 3, 5, or 10 years?
The key point here is to make it realistic. There is no point in making super ambitious goals that aren’t attainable. This is something that I always tell my clients when we set up their sustainability roadmap. We do not just want them to set it aside but to make something feasible considering the limitations that the brand might face like budget constraints, time frame constraints, and the like. Every single quarter, every single year, look at what you can do. Look back and analyze your progress.
3. Design Intentionally
These are low-hanging fruits that most of my clients start with.
The first thing that you want to do is to figure out how you can produce less. We can all agree that the world doesn’t need another pair of jeans or another piece of sweater. The challenge is to think of ways of cutting back but at the same time, keep the revenue and profit.
What you produce, ensures there’s product market fit and you’re adding value to your customer’s lives — you cannot just make a product for the sake of making a product
Design for longevity and not for trends. Don’t just capitalize on fast fashion trends and runway trends. Instead, make products where you consider timelessness and your customer’s pain points.
4. Choose Better Materials
In this scenario, it’s important to consider your priorities and your budget. Work with those constraints.
Use high-quality materials that will last.
Make conscious products. You can deliberate on using natural fibers and recycled fibers.
Make use of deadstock.
5. Choose Manufacturers
You may want to relook at who’s producing your clothing. Finding a production partner that is the correct fit is also something that takes a while.
Partner with ethical factories
Make sure that their workers are being treated fairly, working in a safe environment, and given a liveable wage.
6. Communicate
If you involve your customers with the behind-the-scenes, they will want to support you and vote with their dollars.
Share the priorities with your customers and involve them in your process. Establish a level of trust and understanding with them.
Be transparent with the resources and budgets you have.
Share your roadmap with your customers so they can keep on track and keep you accountable.
These are six high-level ways to incorporate sustainability into your brand. There are a lot of intricacies and challenges along the way but continue to stick through it. The work that you’re doing is very important and the important thing to do is to be transparent with your community. Don’t be afraid of backlash!
If you’d like help with your sustainability strategy, sustainability priorities, sourcing materials and manufacturers, reporting impacts, and communicating efforts to customers — we can work together through our Sustainability Consulting Services. Our team only works with a limited number of clients every year so if you’re interested in working together, you can request a complimentary consultation to see if it’s a fit to work together and create a tailored consulting package for your needs.
