{"id":1184,"date":"2021-11-13T12:14:01","date_gmt":"2021-11-13T12:14:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theteresamaria.com\/?page_id=1184"},"modified":"2022-08-25T12:58:15","modified_gmt":"2022-08-25T11:58:15","slug":"being-sustainable-is-so-out","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/theteresamaria.com\/index.php\/being-sustainable-is-so-out\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Being \u2018Sustainable\u2019 is So OUT?!"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Why the Word \u2018Sustainable\u2019 is So OUT?!<\/h1>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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\r\n \r\n \r\n \"sustainable\r\n
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The word \u2018sustainable\u2019 is so out even though it\u2019s one of the words that has been trending the heaviest throughout 2020 and 2021. Fashion brands are all about it, energy companies are talking about it, and it\u2019s a word that you see in\r\n most advertising displayed on the high streets regardless of industry. But what does it even mean?<\/p>\r\n

It\u2019s obvious for everyone that \u2018sustainability\u2019 is all about being more environmentally friendly. As in changing the ways we do business to a greener direction, and reducing the oh, so famous carbon footprint. And this is all in line\r\n with what consumers want: <\/p>\r\n

Over 70% of Westerners are concerned about the state of our planet, and over 50% are willing to pay a little extra if it means that what they buy has a positive impact on the environment. <\/p>\r\n

But as I discussed in a previous article, at the same time consumers do not trust brands\u2019 marketing especially in terms of them being sustainable. And an even bigger portion of consumers aren\u2019t willing to spend time and effort in making\r\n sure that what is marketed as \u201csustainable\u201d actually is so. <\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n

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Read more: Transparency in Fashion<\/span><\/a>\r\n <\/span>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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It\u2019s a known phenomena, that trends only last for a certain amount of time, until they fade into oblivion. And if they don\u2019t fade off, they become something that is taken for granted, which is not a preferred course of action either.\r\n In my opinion, this latter option is what has happened to the word, and thus being \u2018sustainable\u2019 is so out.<\/p>\r\n

It has become so overused, that no aware consumer would buy into that sort of marketing anymore. Greenwashing is a largely accepted tactic, that is by now causing even more damage to the planet, than what was being done before sustainability\r\n started trending. <\/p>\r\n

Or what do you think of H&M pairing up with PETA to bring out a \u201cvegan\u201d collection, in which all the clothes are made out of petrol (synthetic fabrics, like polyester, are oil-based)? Do we really believe that this is going to\r\n save the world? Surely not. <\/p>\r\n

Sustainability isn\u2019t the hook that makes people buy anymore, those times have passed. And even more importantly, the cloud of mystery has evaporated, and nowadays most people associate sustainability with greenwashing or pure, simple\r\n lies. <\/p>\r\n

Is that what you want your brand\u2019s message to be perceived as?<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n

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What is Sustainability?<\/h2>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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One of the biggest reasons why the word \u2018sustainability\u2019 became such a valuable tool for fast fashion brands to use in their false marketing, is the fact that very few people know what it actually means. What is sustainability in practice?<\/p>\r\n

Most people answer this question by linking it to brands\u2019 operations being environmentally friendly. But in fact that just makes a brand eco-friendly, not sustainable. Sustainability is an incredibly complex issue and a large sum of\r\n multiple areas of business, which makes it so difficult for most consumers to comprehend. <\/p>\r\n

Consumers want simplicity and quick service, and sustainability sure isn\u2019t a quick or an easy concept. Quite the contrary. When a company operates sustainably, the effects will be gradual, but they will be extremely beneficial to the\r\n planet as a whole. <\/p>\r\n

Sustainability as a word already hints at being able to last the tooth of time. But in addition to material durability, it also means treating the world around us in a way that allows the world itself to go on for as long as possible\r\n too. <\/p>\r\n

Whether it\u2019s about raw materials, natural resources, or human capital, by operating sustainably a business ensures that they are all treated with respect to ensure their longevity. The world, and all the species in it are to be nurtured,\r\n not tortured. <\/p>\r\n

But how could a business operate in such a way when the number one goal is to generate profit, no matter what the cost?<\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n

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Sustainability = Responsibility<\/h3>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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If a company\u2019s business model is to create material as cheaply as possible in order to generate as much profit as possible without any regard to their workforce throughout the supply chain, the environment, or the potential circularity\r\n of their products, then they ARE NOT SUSTAINABLE. <\/p>\r\n

And here we can rule out every single fast fashion brand that\u2019s still running today, it\u2019s because of them that the word \u2018sustainable\u2019 is so out. Fast fashion brands can\u2019t even identify as eco-friendly, because they refuse to admit\r\n the fact that as a business they are responsible: <\/p>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n <\/div>\r\n

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