How to know if a brand is ethical
How do we know if a brand is ethical? It really all comes down to how they source, create and supply their product. Typically, an ethical brand would let you...
How do we know if a brand is ethical? It really all comes down to how they source, create and supply their product. Typically, an ethical brand would let you know right away if they are doing, or at least making an effort, to be better.
Unfortunately, many big brands spend more on advertising than actually trying to fix their supply chains: as “sustainable” and “ethical” become buzzwords in the fashion industry, we’re helping to outline what really makes a brand people and planet friendly.
Recognisable certifications
Looking out for these certifications is a great way of ensuring that a brand is doing its best for the people that work for it, as well as their footprint on the environment. They must have insight into how their supply chain works and who they work with. If we take a look at Fair Trade for example, this ensures that the farmers who grew their product are taken care of. Meanwhile, a GOTS cotton certification ensures the crop was grown in an environmentally friendly way and does not use harsh chemicals that will harm the people growing it or the surrounding environment.
Transparency
A brand's transparency is key, the gold standard of transparency is when they share all locations and names of their factories, for customers to do their own research. More often than not, when a brand shares this information it's because they already know the factory is doing good for its workers and can be trusted. We can always start by looking into what information they give us - the “about us” is a great place to start. This should give insight into who they are and what they stand for, it should be easy to understand and leave no room for doubts or questions.
Marketing
“Greenwashing” is a brand's best attempt at tricking consumers into thinking they are doing good or changing their ways. In reality, it's usually a very well-constructed plan to market a line of clothing that may be better for people or the environment but in reality, it's one line of the hundreds they will release over the years, making no real difference. Don’t be fooled - they are doing the bare minimum. Usually, there is no clear information on what they are actually doing for the garment makers and farmers who supply their material.
Materials
As we have outlined above, materials mean much more than just the quality of the garment. They are an indication of the methods used to make them. For organic cotton, you can rest assured that there are no toxins or harsh chemicals used in growing the crop. Or materials like Ecoynl is made up of recycled ocean plastics that would have otherwise been destined for landfill.
The Good On You website or application is the easiest way to know on the fly if a brand is really good for people, animals and the environment. Good On You has a library of brands vetted by their team which are given a score out of 5 possible options from “we avoid” to “great”.