Gen Z may be leading the way when it comes to sustainability, but so far their efforts towards a climate-free future have been clouded by their own shopping habits. Fast fashion retailers like Shein and H&M remain popular with the younger generation. A viral hashtag on TikTok titled ‘Keep or Return’ has already racked up over 140 million views.
Here, fashion bloggers order mountains of clothes to try on and call on their followers to decide which purchases deserve a place in their closet. Free returns allow the videos to be produced on tight budgets by sending back most (if not all) of their purchases.
The fashion industry has a notoriously high environmental footprint and returning clothing is extremely problematic for both businesses and the environment. Around 30 percent of online purchases are returned, with much of it ending up in landfill.
Whitney Carthcart, sustainability expert, co-founder and CCO of 3DLOOK, the company behind leading virtual fitting room YourFit, says of this trend:
“In my 30 years in fashion, I’ve seen the industry’s harmful practices spiral out of control as customers have migrated online and happily taken advantage of perks like free returns without really understanding what’s going on with the items happens that they send back. The top that didn’t fit right is back on the shelf and someone else is going to buy it anyway, isn’t it?”
“No. Your purchase is transported from your home to a distribution center and then eventually to the store in a gas-guzzling truck, polluting the air with harmful emissions along the way. It may eventually be put up for sale again, but if it’s no longer in top condition, it’ll end up in the bargain section or on the shelves of a discount store. At the end of the day, 92 million tons of clothes end up in a landfill, where they are either incinerated – immediately releasing harmful pollutants into the atmosphere – or buried to slowly decompose and harm the environment for generations to come.”
FashionUnited spoke to Whitney Carthcart about the slow changes in consumer behavior and the way to a sustainable future:
Social media is not going away and communicating in the digital world is the norm. What is the alternative for fashion brands and influencers whose success depends on showing new looks again and again?
If a brand wants to meet the increasing demand for sustainable practices, they should find a way to implement them across the organization. This includes incorporating sustainable practices into design, material sourcing, marketing and e-commerce. Today’s clientele knows when a brand is truly authentic, and communicating their commitment to the planet and a more sustainable fashion ecosystem is now more critical than ever to attracting and retaining loyal fans.
Brands that have a large following on social media can use their channels to educate them about the harm fashion is doing – not just to the products themselves, but also the impact of excessive and unnecessary returns. People love and trust the brands they follow and will no doubt be receptive to this new eco-friendly message – after all, they’re not overly keen on giving back because they enjoy doing harm to the environment. They just don’t realize the damage they’re doing.
Many brands are sustainably successful in the digital field without putting commitment above the environment. Partner with eco-conscious influencers, showcase your products transparently, and create an experience that takes the guesswork out of people. For example, brands can provide product images that show a variety of body shapes or create videos that show clothes from different angles. Alternatively, you can set up a virtual fitting room where the fit and appearance of a garment can be tried on on one’s own body. At the same time, you can encourage customers to share their outfits with their own followers on social media at no extra cost.
Many influencers buy clothes to feature on social media and then return them. A virtual dressing room would not solve this problem of consumption. What do you think about the development of the industry towards a realistic and sustainable future?
The shift towards sustainable practices is already happening! Statistics show that more than 50 percent of people want the fashion industry to become more sustainable and they want to actively do their part for our planet. For example, 57 percent try to wear their purchases longer to protect the environment and are willing to pay more for products that have less negative environmental impact.
Gen Z consumers are at the forefront of this shift. 90 percent have changed their behavior towards sustainability. Around 70 percent are influenced by commitments to fair wages, 60 percent pay attention to a brand’s carbon footprint and 45 percent are already looking for environmentally friendly materials. These young people are paying close attention to what the brands they shop with are saying and doing, and are willing to boycott those who don’t meet their increasingly high sustainability standards.
Change can’t happen overnight, but the industry must accept that excessive spending and quick returns are going out of style – think the collapse of Missguided. While there have been a variety of issues, growing consumer awareness of the sustainability and ethical failings of fast fashion has certainly played a role. Consumers are waking up to the fact that fashion has forced unsustainable practices on them for decades, and retailers failing to refresh their image are being replaced by brands that take these concerns seriously.
This article was previously published on FashionUnited.uk. Translation and editing: Barbara Russ