Obstruction to sustainability / What’s stopping people from going green?

Obstruction to sustainability / What’s stopping people from going green? Sustainability has become an increasingly important topic in recent years, with more and more individuals and businesses recognising the need to reduce their environmental impact. With the awareness of the devastating effects of fast fashion growing, so has the interest in sustainably made garments.

Despite this, many obstacles still prevent people from going green.

Awareness

There are many reasons why many people lack awareness when it comes to sustainability, especially in fashion, education being one of them. Many people need to fully understand the fashion industry’s impact to have more awareness of the destruction it has on the planet.

Without the right resources in educational institutions, there is a gap in the knowledge of fashion students since it is traditionally focused on design, marketing and production.

However, as times change, education in fashion is steering towards preparing the new generation of designers with skills and knowledge for a greener approach to garment design. For consumers, educational campaigns are being created by brands to raise awareness. Levi’s “Buy better, wear longer” campaign encourages consumers to buy higher-quality clothing that will last longer.

Convenience

Convenience has been the result of evolving technologies. Everything is easily accessible in most countries. Sustainable fashion, unfortunately, doesn’t fit into this category for several reasons.

Lack of variety 

With fast fashion offering many options to follow ever-changing trends at the click of a button, sustainability offers limited options that don’t necessarily adhere to the general consumers’ tastes.

Limited Availability 

Materials in sustainable fashion garments can be harder to come by and produce than the cheaper fast-fashion materials that can be easily made. Without the regular production of clothes created at maximum capacity to reach a high demand, consumers tend to avoid small-scale businesses associated with sustainable designs.

Limited Marketing

With sustainable fashion still being a niche market, budgets for broader marketing campaigns can be limited.

With a smaller audience and limited awareness, the fashion industry offers less support which can limit the opportunities for sustainable brands to market their products.

However, as awareness of sustainable fashion grows with conscious consumers demand, sustainable fashion will become much more convenient.

Designers already offer gender-neutral and modular outfits that can be incorporated into many styles. By partnering with retailers, designers make their clothing more accessible to new customers, increasing sales and broadening their visibility.

Cost

What’s stopping people from going green?

Sustainable fashion has always been perceived as much more expensive, and it certainly is.

Due to its high-quality materials and ethical production practices, ethical clothing is less accessible to consumers on a tight budget. 

However, by using innovative materials, direct-to-consumer models, and collaborating with other sustainable brands, sustainable brands can offer consumers more affordable options.

Scepticism 

As a result of the obstructions mentioned above for consumers to go green, accompanied by the awareness that certain companies capitalise on sustainability by “greenwashing”, people tend to question the effectiveness of sustainable practices. 

Although a survey by Greenprint found that young Americans want to see more sustainable solutions, many don’t know how to identify trustworthy sources.

Again, this boils down to awareness and education towards greener methods in fashion.

Here at STUDIO EVA D., we know that taking action and leading by example can help overcome scepticism towards sustainability. Inspiring others not only to consider purchasing sustainable items like ours but also for aspiring designers can lean towards creating beautiful, sustainable garments and help grow towards a greener future. Read our blog, ‘How Designers are changing views in an outdated fashion industry’.

Wear what you love. Cherish it, and it lasts a long time.

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