Over recent years, people have become far more conscious about the impact their choices are having on our beautiful planet and those who live on it. People increasingly want to live more sustainably, and purchase ethically made products.
The shift to more sustainably and ethically made products comes from both consumers and businesses alike.
This article with delve a little deeper into why we need to build sustainable and ethical brands, and how we can go about doing so...
Why are people choosing
more ethical brands?
In terms of the fast fashion industry, people are waking up to the brutal realities that glutinous consumption has had on our planet over the past few decades. Fast fashion produces close to 100 million tonnes of waste a year, and the byproduct of this is toxic and untreated waste water, which heavily pollutes our oceans and impacts the health of humans and animals alike. On top of this, fast fashion accounts for over 2 billion tonnes of C02 emissions annually, roughly 4% of our planet's combined global emissions.
Alongside this, fast fashion is kinder to the purse strings for a reason, and people are waking to this. Workers who produce garments for the fast fashion retailers are often underpaid, mistreated and many times child labour is used. When we think about where are clothes are coming from, the cheaper price tag becomes far less appealing.
Lastly, fast fashion cares little about using sustainable fabrics to create garments. They use materials filled with chemicals and toxic dyes, and producing clothes in this way has massive damaging effects to our environment.
With all that said, it's clear to see why consumers and new brands would prefer to have ethical supply chains and take care of the environment and those living on it...
so What actually is an
ethical supply chain?
An ethical supply chain ensures that at every point of the manufacturing, production, creative, and shipping process, everything is above board.
An ethical supply chain ensures that workers are paid and treated fairly and, under no circumstances, no child labour will be in operation.
In addition to this, all the materials used should be 100% sustainable (or as close to this as is humanely possible). This means taking into account the way that the fabrics are produced (using as little water as possible, no pesticides etc) and that the fabrics themselves aren't doing any harm to our planet. Examples of sustainable fabrics include peace silk and organic cotton.
In addition to this, sustainably made fabrics will by dyed by natural means, such as organic and natural pigments which can be found from fruits, plants and other guilt-free sources.
A company with a truly ethical supply chain will have the certification to back it up, for instance GOTS certification.
How can i create an ethical
supply chain for my brand?
We understand that building a completely ethical brand can be challenging. Wouldn't it be great if someone could handle this all for you?
Well, at Masala Threads, we provide all the services you need to create your ethical and sustainable business!
All of our suppliers use ethical and sustainable means to product the fabrics, and we offer a range of solutions for you to choose from. Ensure your business has a completely ethical supply chain, and choose any or all of the following Masala Threads offerings: fabric sourcing, printing & dyeing, design & pattern cutting, manufacturing, photoshoots and eco-packaging.
Build a guilt-free brand that you're truly proud of with the help of Masala Threads.