Ten Tips for More Responsible Shopping
With so many products touting environmental benefits these days, it can be difficult to separate facts from hype and to understand a product or a brand’s true impact. That’s why we’ve assembled tips to help you make better-informed, “lighter” impact purchases. They aren’t just guidelines. These tips also offer a glimpse at some of the challenges we face to accurately communicate about our own products.
- Know Your Stuff. You might be surprised to learn that conventional cotton, which is grown with harmful pesticides, is one of the worst polluters on the planet. In contrast, some synthetics like polyester are increasingly made from recycled materials, making them less detrimental than virgin conventional cotton. A good rule of thumb is to look for materials that are certified organic or recycled. Here’s a guide to help you do your homework.
- Check the Recycling Math. When it comes to recycled goods, keep your eye out for misleading percentages. For example, “50% more recycled material” sounds great until you find out the product only contained 1% recycled material in the first place.
- Consider the Total Environmental Impact. While greater recycled content is positive—a sign that impact is getting reduced—it doesn’t account for the entire manufacturing process, like dyeing and sewing or water usage and greenhouse gas emissions. Once you’ve considered the entire manufacturing process from raw material through dyeing and finishing, says Karba, an environmental researcher at Patagonia, “you might be left with only a 5 or 6% reduction in total impact from recycled materials.” That’s why Karba and our impact team are working on overall reduction numbers to report and share.
- Are They Certified Sustainable? If a brand is making claims about its sustainability and social impact, certifications are a powerful tool to substantiate those claims. Certifications involve third-party organizations and provide an external assessment of particular aspects of a company’s supply chain, like sourcing practices and materials. Here are some certifications that Patagonia recognizes:
Advanced Global Traceable Down Standard
Organic Cotton
Regenerative Organic Certified™ Programs
Sustainable Apparel Coalition
bluesign® technologies
Fair Trade
Fair Labor Association®
Forest Stewardship Council
Responsible Wool Standard
- Stay Grounded. All those next-day deliveries come with carbon emissions and social impacts. Given the option, select slower, ground-delivery methods to reduce emissions from air freight in particular.
- Buy Used. While a bargain is always appealing, cut-rate new products often come with ethical issues, like poor working conditions and environmental hazards, as companies cut corners to preserve margins. While a higher cost doesn’t always mean higher quality, price can be a useful data point in your purchasing decision. Another way to limit your ecological footprint without spending too much is buying used products. Used clothing can often be found at a lower price than the same new garment. Plus, buying used extends the life of clothing and keeps gear out of landfills.
- Watch for the “Halo” Effect. A big brand showcasing an “eco-friendly” collection could be a sign that the company is piloting new programs to reduce its impact—or it could simply be a ploy to attract customers who will buy its regular line of products, imagining that everything the company makes is on a better path. Some call this the “halo” effect—one limited style changing the perception of a company’s values and process. While even a limited line of sustainably made goods from a global brand can have benefits all the way down the supply chain (due to the ability to buy materials at scale), notice if the company builds on its “eco-friendly” lines.
- Photos Are Cool. Data Is Cooler. “Transparency” has become a buzzword in its own right; many brands share locations and images of the factories where their products are made. But factory photos don’t guarantee healthy working conditions or fair wages any more than images of cotton fields guarantee responsible material sourcing. Look for a section on the brand’s website (usually called “sustainability” or “corporate social responsibility”) that details how they are improving environmental and social metrics within their business. Are they sharing impact data around their carbon emissions or water usage? If you don’t find this kind of information, ask the company for it. If the information is there, does it match how the brand advertises itself or its products?
- Think Before You Impulse Buy. According to a 2019 McKinsey Global Institute report, apparel purchases have increased by 60% over the past 15 years, with the average life span of each garment decreasing by half. One way to reduce the fashion churn is to slow down and think before you buy. To rein in impulse buying, Karba goes through a decision tree. “First, I ask myself, ‘Do I need this?’” they say. “I constantly have to stop and remind myself that although I might want an item, I don’t need it. Once I decide I do actually need something, then I look at factors like what materials it’s made of, whether it has certifications and whether there’s brand integrity behind it that I can trust.”
- Use Your Voice. Modern companies pay close attention both to overall brand sentiment and to individual customer feedback. In other words, they care what you think. So tell them! Use social media or email to contact companies whose practices don't meet your ethical standards and let them know what they could be doing better. You have the power to change the way clothes are made.
