I think we need to start somewhere, and eco-labels are a beginning. If I’m spending a dollar, I want it to be spent responsibly. Perhaps leveraging technology like blockchain and RFID would aid in the traceability of products with eco-labels. We need to treat this planet with respect and not squander the bounty we have been given.  Millennials and Gen Zs continue to pay close attention to social and environmental changes daily. So waiting to see what other brands and retailers are doing before improving your own products’ sustainability will only result in consumers diverting sales to your competitors. Give the consumers what they want: expand product assortment to extend sustainable brands. In addition, improve visibility into the lifecycle of the garment by paring with blockchain or other distributed ledger technologies.  Also, we need to be careful with what ends up being printed on the labels. Let’s not forget that the “nutrition” label has been essentially designed by lobbyists for decades, and the “food pyramid” even more so. How else would the healthiest diet consist… Read more »

If you want to believe this research, read the second paragraph of today’s music discussion first.

Apparel is a huge environmental problem. The waste is mind-boggling to me. Therefore, anything will help. But, please, can we have an objective source determine what those labels should say? We have learned you can’t trust the manufacturer.

Assuming the data on these labels can be independently audited and verified (no small feat) I love this idea. These labels are akin to nutritional labels on food products, and they are a straight line to greater accountability for the manufacturers. Information is power – and a powerful influencer.

Buyers have to trust the standards if they’re going to be meaningful. Today it’s trust in a brand that often wins these customers over. Eco-labels based on a strong set of standards would help younger brands enter the market with more credibility, encourage more brands to produce more sustainable products, and help increase consumer confidence in mainstream brands who are transitioning to more sustainable practices. It would also help customers feel more confident in their decisions – which can sometimes be the difference between making a sale or not. Ultimately, I think the right standards will absolutely be beneficial, but they will have to stand up to close scrutiny.

Food labeling includes a ton of information about ingredients. There are 39 grams of sugar in a 12-ounce can of Coke. But you have to know that 39 grams of sugar is a lot of sugar compared to alternative drinks. Same with carbs, vitamins, minerals, grams of fat, etc. So yes, we need some kind of labeling system in apparel that communicates “ingredients” and what that actually means. We can decide if today’s outfit is going to be a double cheeseburger and fries or Greek yogurt.

Governance with clear, transparent metrics that inform consumers of blockchain-type provenance would be the right direction. Unfortunately, I think there are so many different guidelines today that it will take several years before we see a significant alignment. But starting small and making progress each year is a step in the right direction.

Having led a sustainability discussion at the recent NYC PI Apparel Innovation summit, the eco-labels topic surfaced quite a bit. There is an absolute need for complete transparency around product and materials sourcing in the apparel industry. The conscious consumer is gravitating toward apparel brands with sustainability on top of their strategic agendas for 2022 and beyond.

Our discussion room was focused on how apparel product design decisions impact sustainability strategies and production emissions. In preparing for this discussion, it was eye-opening to see that the fashion apparel industry is responsible for:

• 10 percent of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions and;
• 20 percent of global wastewater and;
• Using more energy than the aviation and shipping sectors combined.

Sustainability matters and fashion apparel brands must be fully transparent in their manufacturing processes. Time is of the essence.