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Sustainability in Retail

By Emily Locke



Hello April! Spring is among us, and the world seems to be waking up from its lockdown slumbers. With this, comes the reopening of the retail world. As someone who works in the retail environment (and a big lover of Steph’s Echo 😉) I’ve definitely had my eyes opened up to the impact that retail plays on the environment, and where it typically stands in terms of sustainable practices.


Especially with April 22nd marking World Earth Day, now is as good a time as ever, that retailers (and individuals too) should begin taking more notice of the parts they play as consumers of the planet we live on, and ultimately should look to sustain these efforts beyond this specific day of focus.


It’s become ever present that certain retailers are ‘greenwashing’, a term which means to produce misleading claims on how sustainable a business model is.


Throughout this post, I won’t be naming, or shaming any specific retailers, but it’s out there if you want to read more about the impact of individual retailers. With sustainability in mind, we should all be looking to know more about where we shop from, and the impacts of our shopping habits.


It is a harsh reality that the second largest contributor of waste in the world is textiles. The fashion industry is responsible for 10% of the global carbon footprint.


Steph spoke in one of her recent Instagram posts about how problematic the cotton industry is, feel free to read about that here: ( https://www.instagram.com/p/CMSc3LWnMLT/ )

Amongst other issues, water consumption is a massive problem in cotton production. It takes 7,000 litres of water to produce enough cotton for just one pair of jeans. In comparison, this is the equivalent to the amount one person can drink in 15 years.

I have noticed as of recent, that more retailers are seeking out sustainable third-party certifications such as that of BCI, the Better Cotton Initiative. BCI is a global non-profit organisation which is dedicated to three key rules: for cotton production to be better for people who produce it, better for the environment it grows in, and better for the sector’s future. To present the BCI logo on their packaging, companies must be sourcing at least 10% of their cotton as better cotton, with a plan to be sourcing at least 50% in the next five years. There is a considerable amount of well-known retailers featured as members on the BCI website, and this is definitely a big start in making cotton production more sustainable and encouraging other retailers to follow suit.


Of course, cotton is not the only problematic material. Viscose, a semi-synthetic organic material, that some consumers favour over cotton, contributes enormously to deforestation, as well as other raw materials such as rayon, lyocell and modal. In fact, 70 million trees a year are used to produce such materials. To put this into perspective, two mature trees provide enough oxygen for a family of 4 for their lifetimes.


The way forward, in terms of textile production, that a considerable amount of retailers have started to implement, is through the use of more responsible and recycled fibres, such as Better Cotton, organic cotton, recycled polyester, and implementing dying techniques which use less energy and water.


There is also an initiative that makes up over 48% of UK clothing retailers, called the SCAP (Sustainable Clothing Action Plan) which is committed to reducing the impact of products, with measurable and verified progress.


Product life cycle is also a massive contributor to sustainability issues, as 30% of clothes produced are never actually sold, often ending up in landfill.


The use of clearance stores, charitable organisations, clothes swaps, and the ever-growing popularity of sites such as Depop, which Maya has spoken about in a previous post, are definitely helping to improve product life cycle issues. You could say that the product life cycle is more the responsibility of the consumer, however, I would argue that the retailer is also responsible in this, and thus a growing amount of retailers are committed to product life cycle management.


A big issue that hits home for me, and especially seeing the impact that the lockdowns have made on online retail is packaging. It’s not abnormal these days for people shopping in store to bring their own carrier bag, however this is not an option when shopping online.

Of course, recyclable and reusable packaging is the most optimal choice, in terms of sustainability, as well as packaging that does not cause wider environmental impact or contamination in its production.


However, it is the sheer amount of packaging used that can be quite shocking, and because of this, the message of reusing and recycling packaging needs to be loud and clear. Retail companies need to be dedicated to reduction in plastic usage. In terms of what consumers can do though, there are so many ways that plastic can be repurposed. To name a few; wrapping around an outside plant to protect from frost, wrapping dirty shoes or laundry when on holiday, filling them with vinegar and tying around taps and shower heads to de-scale, or stuffing them and tying them to a stick for a quick DIY scarecrow for a veg patch!

Something that myself and Steph have also discussed, that retailers could definitely look to implement, as well as consumers, is using plastic waste to create what is known as eco-bricks. Plastic bottles, filled with plastic waste, can be sent off to a company that goes by the same name, Eco-Bricks, to create modules, furniture, gardens, food forest play parks and so much more. This is something I personally am very interested to implement into my retail environment, and I am currently looking into.


Aside from encouraging shoppers to bring their own bag, retailers should also be looking to have energy efficient equipment, lighting and appliances in their stores, warehouses and other areas of the business. RE100, the climate group, are a global organisation committed to the progress of 100% renewable power. Retailers that have signed to this organisation and implemented its ambitions, send a powerful message to other retailers, markets and governments about the demand for renewable electricity.


I don’t doubt for one moment that once shops re-open, that there will be a surge in consumerism, and retailers are definitely preparing for this to be the case. What you and I can do, as consumers of retail, is be aware of what we are purchasing, and ask ourselves if it is completely necessary. Maybe we don’t need to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe’s worth of clothes, just for the sake of shops being reopen, and the excitement and novelty of it all.


Having key pieces in your wardrobe that you can complement with a few new purchases, is definitely a step in the right direction. Now that you know how much impact just one pair of jeans has on the environment, perhaps you’ll reassess whether the jeans with the hole in need to go in the bin. Maybe they can be patched up, be made into something else, or be loved by someone else, and these are all things we should consider, before thinking about going out and buying that new pair.


Or if you do feel the need to go out and get something new to wear, maybe you’ll consider a clearance store, a charity shop, or a site like Depop.


When you meet up with your friends again (rule of 6, outside, at the time of writing 😉) why not suggest a clothes swap or let them know about what you’ve learnt about sustainability in retail, before you go out on your next shopping trip together.


Venetia La Manna (Sustainable Fashion Activist) – “slowing down our overall consumption can have a huge impact” – advocate of the Slow Fashion movement, supporting sustainable brands, and loving the clothes you already own.


Together, as retailers, and consumers if we continue talking about sustainability, being more considerate with our choices, taking responsibility and implementing positive change then we can make an impact on what retail is doing to the environment. It is us as the consumer that creates the demand. It starts with me and you. Let’s shop smart!


You can follow Emily's fashion and retail journey on @emilyatnext

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