Fixing fashion: clothing consumption and sustainability

In a report released this week, the Environment Audit Committee has called on the government to end this era of throwaway fashion, a craze that millennial shoppers have grown accustomed to from their teenage years into adulthood, through the introduction of H&M, Zara, ASOS, Primark and more recently, Missguided. 

So where does this leave the next generation, or Gen Z as they are commonly known? Cybertill and YouGov conducted research into these 18 to 24-year-olds to dig deeper into their shopping habits, but one thing that stood out more than anything, was their similarities to their grandparents’ generation rather than their parents. They are more socially conscious and aware of the environment and treat money with more respect than Millennials and Gen X - Millennials may not know how to darn socks, but Gen Z just might. 

I welcome the recommendations from the committee to add lessons on designing, creating, mending and repairing clothes to the school curriculum, these are life skills that have been slowly diminished over time. However, fashion sustainability is only going to work if both retailers and consumers are on board, and the suggestion for the scheme to reward companies that design products with lower environmental impacts and penalise those that do not is a step in the right direction, but what about rewarding customers who are proactive in supporting sustainability? 

Marks and Spencer are a great example of how retailers should be partnering with charities to encourage sustainable fashion. The Shwopping initiative, not only encourages customers to donate, those who are part of the Sparks loyalty program can earn rewards for doing so. H&M have offered a similar initiative for a few years, rewarding donors with a voucher for dropping off unwanted textiles – not just H&M branded clothes. Interestingly, H&M Group are one of the few retailers who have a whole section of its website dedicated to sustainability, providing a clear and open communication on its strategy. 

Read more in our blog, 'A retailers plight of sustainable fashion.'