OH! And I talked to the local vegan, fair and eco fashion store here in Gothenburg who sold Matt&Nat and sent them your link. They talked to the company and had some meetings and decided not to sell their products anymore because of their lack of transparency with their factories and working conditions etc. That just made the store even MORE trustworthy for checking into it and taking the right choice. Another vegan bad & shoe store in Stockholm called Green Laces were in discussion with a friend of mine in the sustainable and ethical fashion business and they still won't stop selling their stuff. Easy choice now where to shop for shoes and bags... So your post made a difference here in lil' ol' Sweden :)
Wow that's amazing! Thanks so much for sharing 😊 Really cool the store looked more into them and was willing to reassess the brands they stock! Definitely speaks to their values and not just desire for profit because I'm sure Matt&Nat sells well.
Dåligt att inte Green Laces slutar säljar Matt&Nat :/ Har du nå tips på vart man kan hitta bra vinterskor här i Sverige som är bra för miljön men ändå varma?
I would also add to your list, pricing. Be realistic in your expectations re how much you should pay for an item. I'm 63 and can recall what my mother paid for a skirt, dress, pants, coat etc for me as a teen in the late '60's, early '70's. How is it even possible that these same items are less expensive today without using slave labour and cheap, unsustainable fibers? H & M is certainly a case in point. Cheap, fast fashion - how is this in anyone's mind, sustainable?
A great way to check a brand is to use the amazing app 'Good On You'. The app is independent and goes through and assesses the brand on all of the things you mentioned in the video. It is relatively new so if you want to find out about a brand that isn't available you can request it is researched. Best of all, it is free to use which is great!
I always have troubling telling if toothpaste&deoderant brands are greenwashing. For me it is easy to buy most other things second hand, but items like toothpaste are essentials for me (no DIY recipes have worked). Thanks for sharing your tips, I would love for you to highlight great brands who are actually committed to sustainability in future videos!
Soooo I work at a well known hotel brand and they always say we are green and always putting up cute signs about being green but it’s super contradicting that we give out plastic water bottles at check in. Also housekeepers don’t have the time to recycle and aren’t given any containers to do so. Literally only trash bins. The guest room doesn’t even have the option to recycle. Everything gets thrown away! The trash is crazyyyy. What’s really scary is we have pallets upon pallets of plastic water bottles ALREADY bought and ready to use. 600 . We clean out probably 100 used plastic bottles a day. Like at some point we should really think about if we are creating a problem. We do have a compost which is nice. And we do recycle boxes. But it’s hard to say we are green when we don’t have a grasp on our own footprint.
Yes! It's so tricky when big companies do this, but you can often tell by their lack of real transparancy and facts as you mentioned, they rather use vague words like: we 'wish' to, we 'strive' to, we've been 'asking questions',... Well, I 'wish' to be succesful in life, but that doesn't necessarily mean I am ;) but for those smaller brands I find it to be harder to tell, as you mentioned Matt & Nat, you really have to pay more attention to the details to spot these contradictions or leftouts, it's more subtle. It makes the list of really trustworthy brands a little smaller... it's difficult!
It is difficult, but there also are a lot of genuine wonderful brands out there! I think there's a balance to being suspicious because unfortunately the greenwashing brands ruin it for the brands that are doing great things.
@@MyGreenCloset yes I believe so, and I think we all strive (woops I use these words myself) to support those genuine brands! Your tips will help for that, and as you also mentioned maybe it is a good thing to ask brands questions when in doubt :)
Would love to see you review some of the "ethical" slow fashion brands like everlane and grana. These are more accessible to me (not a lot of local thrift shops and the few local ethical brands do not fit my style) would love to know if you think they are green washing or not
Same. I just saw someone on another video talking about an eco friendly silk blouse that Everlane sell. But I thought that silk came from worms so how can it be eco friendly? Yes, they use less toxic dyes (whatever that means) but still kill worms in the process. Am I missing something?
Ethical is to do with workers, eco stands for ecological, better for the environment... Regarding animal rights, you might want to look for cruelty free.
Well, even cruelty free isn't really what the word we're looking for is. Cruelty free often just refers to "not tested on animals" but may still contain animal products. The golden word here is "vegan"
Great topic! When you see the budget of a company and see how much they spend on marketing and how much on production and sustainability, it is really shocking (marketing numbers are usually through the roof). I do find this greenwashing quite disturbing because not everyone has time to look for a sustainable brand, write e-mails and read between the lines just for buying a t-shirt. That is where your channel comes in, thanks ;)
I completely agree, it's crazy how much these big fashion brands make and also spend on things like marketing - they could pay everyone fairly and still make profits!
Great video. This title reminded me that Aeropostale is advertising their new Jean collection made from recycled bottles. Obviously this sounds good but their clothes are still horribly fast fashion meaning cheaply made with cheap labor.
There are many small new brands who are trying to start something good but, it is hard to get those certifications or they can't really do a lot of everything. I think when it comes to small businesses we should give them a chance, because actually there are more chances of fair trade with the small businesses because they can't afford to manufacture on huge factories
I had no idea Mat and Nat were so unreliable! Thanks for the information, I’ll definitely be choosing a different sustainable bag when I buy one! Great video, as always 💗
This is so important as a topic for discussion. We have to make sure our actions are making an impact, and not just making us feel good about ourselves! Companies want to capture your dollars. Being an informed consumer is everyone's job. It can get overwhelming but I do think as well doing business with local companies where you can check out their processes and get to know the people really makes a difference. My skincare brand Blissoma is doing our best as a small manufacturers to make responsible decisions and improve as we grow. It's often more expensive to do that but it's why we exist to try and make change! This fall we are going to be getting a set of solar panels for our manufacturing space that will cover our entire electric usage. We are SO excited about this as we have worked towards it for years now. Beyond that we will be able to do even more because it will make it less expensive for us to maintain our space. It's a no brainer!
This was an eye opener! I’ve totally been Greenwashed. I You’ve just brought the term to my attention and I will certainly be delving further into claims and transparency before making another purchase. Lesson learned. 🙏🏻
I've found an app called "goodonyou" that rates brands on their sustainability and suggests alternative to less sustainable brands. I've found it really useful and some brands surprised me both in a good way and others in a bad way. Love your channel
It's great, I have it linked in the description! Although with any rating site it's always important to look into how they rate/weigh different areas and remember that all the information isn't necessarily available.
A little off topic, but it seems that clothing brands aren't the only ones doing this. I try to buy from the bulk section at stores as much as possible and bring in my own containers. I've noticed that many places such as Kroger's in particular will advertise that because they have bulk they are eco-friendly or are zero-waste friendly, things like that. But then a lot of the time they won't even have the ability to tare the weights of containers you bring in on their registers, insist that you need to use their plastic containers/bags, or the cashiers will overall be confused and disgruntled that you have your own containers, yet they keep on saying they are eco-friendly.
And yes, my Kroger doesn’t readily allow reusable containers for their bulk foods. Technically you can but their weight isn’t subtracted so unless you are in the financial position to be able to throw money away - & enjoy doing so - glass jars &/ or anything else w/ substantial weight aren’t a practical option. For some things reusable bags can work, ie mesh or other washable materials, but it’s definitely not set up to encourage more sustainable choices. I’ve also seen some people reusing the provided clear plastic bags, which is of course better than throwing them away each time, but they’re pretty thin & flimsy so realistically won’t hold up more than a handful of times MAX. Last week someone cared to tell me that my not putting my fruits & vegetables in plastic bags was “dirty”, the exact unsolicited comment being “excuse me, but there’s bags over there. I can’t imagine putting anything in a cart without one. I saw a special report where they tested them & they are filthy.” Uh yeah....b/c I’m not going to wash them before I eat them? Another time a presumptuous employee chastised me for putting several different fruits/ veggies w/ different prices in one of my own drawstring (mesh) bags, ie “ma’am you can’t do that. They all have different prices & have to be weighed separately.” I responded cordially that I had every intention of doing just that & simply had them together for transport to the front of the store, as I didn’t have enough mesh bags for each single item to have its own (nor did I care!) I assured him that once at the register I would indeed remove each type of produce from the bag & weigh each separately & he begrudgingly let me be but he still didn’t seem happy about it.😂
This was a super helpful video. Could you possibly do a video focused on the clothing brands that actually are sustainable and who you would buy from. Since you seem to have a lot of knowledge on this topic, it would be a nice reference point for alternative brands.
This is the first time I've heard of this term, thanks for sharing the history behind it and pointers to look out for when you become suspicious of a particular brand :)
Thank you for the tips! Along the same topic, I’ve come across several brands that proudly claim to be a “Certified B Corporation.” I’m having a hard time getting specifics on what the parameters are for gaining this certification. In my opinion, their site is vague and gives off a generalized message. Any information or articles you may be aware of would be greatly appreciated! Thank you for spreading awareness and helping us all be kinder humans. x
Such a great topic! Something that always concerns me, is when a brand is claiming to be "green" but their products are either super cheap, always on sale, or they're constantly coming out with new items. I have a few things from Pact that I absolutely love, but the fact that they always have some kind of a sale or deal going on (plus the fact that their clothes are fairly cheap for an eco brand, to begin with), really concerns me. They're Fair Trade and GOTS certified, but I just don't understand how they could actually be paying a living wage, and still be making a profit. :/ I'm not sure if there's really anything to this, it's just something that feels wrong to me, and makes me feel wary of a brand.
Nyomi Byle I checked on this app called Good on You that rates brands based on how sustainable and ethical they are, and Pact has 5 stars! I think Pact wrote an article explaining why it's so cheap. Apparently, it has less steps in its supply chain, which makes the clothes cheaper to produce, and also many brands charge extra simply because they know that we expect to pay more for them.
GOTS and Fair Trade Certifications both mean their factories have been checked by third parties so that gives me more confidence in a brand like that. Although I've never tried Pact's products, the styles look very basic which is A LOT easier to sew and I believe they manufacture in lower wage countries which would help keep costs down too. Also because they are a larger brand I assume they can order higher quantities which really helps with costs. However I have heard that they use an excessive amount of plastic packaging in their shipping (like bubble wrap - why would you need that for fabric?) which is why I've never ordered from them. It depends on what your ethical/sustainable priorities are, but for me I ideally like to support eco brand that are also trying to use eco-friendly packaging.
This was helpful to my efforts to avoid falling prey to greenwashing. Oddly enough I've encountered a brand who has been rated well by an independent third party, that doesn't specifically advertise their positive practices or policies. The lack of greenwashing from the brand is striking compared to how inundated we are elsewhere and makes me wonder if I'm missing something!
Not all brands will advertise their sustainable practices and a lot of small brands/designers are pretty sustainable just due to the nature of their business (things like focusing on quality over quantity, efficient use of materials etc.) but their focus is on the clothes and designs and that's what they want the brand to be about. I don't think it's at all a bad thing but it does make it a little trickier if you highly value those sustainable qualities and want to get more info. So definitely if you have questions try reaching out to the brand. :)
LOVED this! Been hoping someone would cover this. Sadly have to agree with you on matt & nat ... as far back as 10 years ago i purchased one of their bags and within a year it was falling apart, and I think their over use of vegan leather can be confusing to consumers ... if you are ever looking for content - i would love to hear your thoughts on real vs vegan leather, since - as you mentioned, pvc and pu arent phenomenal for the environment either. Thanks as always for a great video!
Thanks so much! That sucks your bag fell apart so quickly, I've heard so many bad stories from people about Matt & Nat since publishing my post, they seem even worse than I initially though. I actually have a video on leather vs. vegan synthetics but it's a couple years old ua-cam.com/video/qW5Yfo4amQU/v-deo.html
Great video, I elieve this is topic number one right now! Or at least this is what I am thinking about constantly when I need to purchase something. I guess that for me, here are the steps: 1: trying to find a brand that has fair trade certification (fairtrade, b Corp). 2: one that uses either recycled (also certified) or GOTS certified organic material (for clothing). Now so far I have noticed that it's hard to find brands that have it all. But for me, certification is definitely key. And if I cannot find it, I look for second hand, and if that's not possible either I indeed trust my gut, check the website, and usually choose a small company that does amazing things. If something is worrying me/missing information I send them an email: based on their reply or the lack of it I make my decision :) but long and complicated process is totally win-win though: better for the world and better for the individual who won't spend much money on shopping any more as shopping simply becomes a lot harder :)
When I was at business school in the early 2000's we did a whole a module on corporate social responsibility and it was basically sold to us as the fluffy bit companies have to do to make themselves look good. I don't think greenwashing was a word then but it's made me sceptical ever since
Great video! It's probably impossible to do anything other than give a general guide of things to look for. And I think, on the whole, even when we make mistakes, at least the message is clear that people *are* looking for greener options and companies doing greenwashing will definitely be aware that they are playing with fire because a damaging media story that unveils, with evidence, that they're actually not doing what they say can potentially be really bad for them.. (Though I'm often disappointed by how quickly they seem to bounce back...). I think it's particularly hard to keep on top of as brands grow and change and sometimes take advantage of their customers' trust in them that was built from their original genuine efforts to be more environmentally friendly, but then those ideals get sidelined in a bit for expansion... :/ For me, I do try to be on top of it, but it's hard sometimes so I find it easiest to, wherever possible, just buy secondhand and try to make all clothes (whether new or secondhand) last as long as possible.
I was thinking of purchasing from Matt & Nat. Thank you so much for telling us. It sucks that they can't be honest with us. I hate H&M Victoria Secret, greedy people.
I had a good laugh when I read Matt&Nat's Ethics and Sustainability section on their website. Especially when they mention that eating vegan is better for the environment. So you should buy their bags?! What??!! They also mention having a good relationship with their factory OWNERS. I'm sure they do... $$$
Such a bummer, we have purchased Matt and Mat for myself and my daughters, specifically thinking that we were purchasing ethically made, green products. Now I feel like I should just knit my own bag!!
The worst type of greenwashing compensation EON (German power company) sells "eco gas" instead of biogas. It's basically just natural gas with compensation CORSIA is a international compensation project for aviation which just compensates carbon emissions and is *exclusive* for carbon reduction in aviation some compensation projects even steal land from people in other countries. You can guess how long these trees will stay there etc But I also admit that I bought a T-Shirt from a shop that claims to care about working conditions and not using chemicals. Though most clothes were made in Europe, there was one shirt made in India. The chemical check happened in China to sell it in Germany... I'm glad I now know we have second hand shops here
"Sustainable/Ethical" brands still have a long way to go. Adding to what you said here, the clothes for the most part I find to be un-stylish. No matter how much a so called "influencer" (eye roll) will try and influence me to believe otherwise.
Actually, to me is the sizing. I’m really small (5ft2” and 7st) and I normally take a UK6 petite. The way I go about it now is that I try to alter my existing clothes (like turning dresses into skirts), buy second hand, buy well made clothes from a more expensive shop but that are on sale or buy from a fast fashion shop their better made clothes so I can wear them for years and not just months. I have clothes from H&M that I’ve worn for 5-6 years and have a dress from Zara that is 17 years old and still looks in great condition. I also wear my older clothes at home when cooking/cleaning so I can stretch the life of the newer ones. I feel very guilty for buying from some fast fashion brands but I think that if we all shopped less and “slow” down our purchases we can make an impact. If they can’t turn over their stock fast then they’ll realise that consumers are fed up with their practices. I feel sorry for the garment makers but I worry that not buying from that brand it may make them to lose their jobs. PS sorry for the long post on your thread.
Something different besides the wide crop leg , boxy tops or art teacher vibe. Nothing wrong with these styles, they're just not my style. Also bummed seeing rayon & viscose at such a high price point. Not worth it IMO. For now, I'm sticking to thrifting quality items or just using up & being creative with what I already have. Great topic.
Not sure where you're located but by try checking out brands like Tamga (I did a video with them recently ua-cam.com/video/julxMaKWnYw/v-deo.html), Christy Dawn, Deadwood, Zero Waste Daniel, Armed Angels, Reformation, Thief & Bandit, or Style Saint. There are so many brand that do other styles! If you let me know more about what kind of styles/clothes you wear (ie. colourful, workwear, athletic, etc.) I can give more specific recommendations :)
I was fooled by everlane a few years back. If I had done a little more research instead of taking their statements at face value I would have figured it out. I bought 2 pairs of pants from them that turned out to be pretty disappointing anyway.
Although I don't work in fashion industry, from the marketing point of view I have to say this: Fast-fashion industry is by far the worse in the world! It's even worse compared to other traditionally damaging industries such as oil-based (BP etc). 1) It's impossible to have something so fast & cheap sustainably. Even if the claim that they engage in recycling, probably and up to some extent that's a lie! Simply because they use cheap materials which are almost impossible to get recycled. 2) Sustainability has become a mega trend. That's not a bad thing. However, what companies actually do is to take advantage of this trend promoting how much they care about social & environmental responsibility without providing sufficient information about HOW they manage to be as sustainable as they say to be. What can companies can do in order to minimize environmental footprint ? They need to stop measuring success just by ROI/ profitability. Simple as that. In other words, the success of a business should be judged by the societal and environmental impact they have. This means several things such as the establishment of societal & sustainability metrics. Is that possible ? Well...We need time. Some companies do good job but very slowly. Until then and in order to be vigilant, if in doubt, watch out!
My dad is telling me that not buying fast fashion is bad because it will cause workers to lose their jobs. Even if workers are treated unfairly, they will suffer more if they lose their jobs entirely. Does this make sense? I'm confused.
I hear this a lot and talk more about it in this video: ua-cam.com/video/-SWZYE6mAi0/v-deo.htmlm40s This is also a copy from a response I've previously given to this argument: It's not about taking away jobs, it's about improving the jobs - having ethical policies, businesses taking responsibility for the well-being and safety of their workers, dealing with human rights and animal abuses etc. Just because someone is willing or forced to work in horrific conditions to feed themselves and their family doesn't make it okay to take advantage of that. Why should someone else be suffering so you can buy $10 jeans? There are a lot of factory workers protesting the low wages and awful conditions. For example garment workers in Cambodia were killed for protesting for a living wage which the increase would likely make clothes cost only a few pennies more... Meanwhile the fast fashion retailers that hire these factories are making billions in profit. How is that okay? VICE news did a piece about how working in the garment industry in Cambodia is so bad that women would rather be sex workers than sew clothes but they're forced to work in factories ua-cam.com/video/EnXhB1XtL2o/v-deo.html and there are tons of documentaries and news reports from various countries that talk to garment workers who want better conditions and wages. Providing a job that people can barely live on is not ethical and these practices shouldn't be supported. The environmental impact is massive and the human rights abuses and working conditions can be appalling - not something I am at all okay with giving my money to. I would much rather purchase from companies that pay their workers fairly, provide safe places to work in, as well as support, education, and programs to improve the quality of life of the employees, their families and communities. By supporting companies like that they can grow and provide more fair jobs!
Basically if you care about garment workers jobs than support fair paying, safe jobs! We really need more jobs like that, not abusive work environments and jobs that take advantage of people. You can also watch my video on slavery because clothing is at a very high risk of being made by modern slaves ua-cam.com/video/BhKdVbjp7cM/v-deo.html - not great "jobs" to preserve and support.
My Green Closet I agree 100%. I hate it when people buy from sweat shops just for convenience and personal pleasure. I think that we can transform the fashion industry and make it ethical. Thanks for such detailed replies! I will tell this to my dad.
Also Mat and Nat are hireing immigrants and deliver them a working visa specific for their company (I'm not knowledgable on immigration stuff, but apparently there is visa you can get that only alow you to work for one employer). As the immigrants wants to stay in montreal, they don't complain about their shitty, non-legal work conditions and they can't quit neither. I don't know much details, but It's what I heard in the union i'm in, the same as their employees (in montreal)
Still better to shop at H&M their bio cotton or recycled material basics than poly mix basics from F21. Some items can't be bought in second hand shops or it doesn't make economic sense to buy them by local small brands. But PVC or any synthetic material shedding microplastics while washing is something that should be banned forever just like plastic straws or plastic shopping bags.
Fair Trade is a little fiddly too. Some certified fair trade items are lies too. It’s obnoxious how hard it is to vet things anymore. One good resource is the Higg MSI (Materials Sustainability Index) which can be found at msi.higg.org They independently track. the impact of materials used. It’s quite reading intense but I feel their work adds a lot of value and helps me make better decisions.
I agree the Higg index is a great resource, but it also has to be taken with a grain of salt because I don't believe it includes end of life - so does the material sit in a landfill forever, or pollute the oceans or biodegrade, which I think is an important component.
Do they have a "green" collection? I don't know a lot about them but based on the prices and quality they seem like one of the worst fast fashion brands 🙁
Q: How to spot a greenwashing company? The answer is sad but true: A: They sell a product Not buying a product is almost always better for the environment than to buy it
OH! And I talked to the local vegan, fair and eco fashion store here in Gothenburg who sold Matt&Nat and sent them your link. They talked to the company and had some meetings and decided not to sell their products anymore because of their lack of transparency with their factories and working conditions etc. That just made the store even MORE trustworthy for checking into it and taking the right choice. Another vegan bad & shoe store in Stockholm called Green Laces were in discussion with a friend of mine in the sustainable and ethical fashion business and they still won't stop selling their stuff. Easy choice now where to shop for shoes and bags... So your post made a difference here in lil' ol' Sweden :)
Wow that's amazing! Thanks so much for sharing 😊 Really cool the store looked more into them and was willing to reassess the brands they stock! Definitely speaks to their values and not just desire for profit because I'm sure Matt&Nat sells well.
Thrive :)
Dåligt att inte Green Laces slutar säljar Matt&Nat :/
Har du nå tips på vart man kan hitta bra vinterskor här i Sverige som är bra för miljön men ändå varma?
Kolla på Ecosphere(Stockholm), Adisgladis(Stockholm) eller Thrive(Göteborg) om du vill ha nya, annars finns det ju massor second hand :)
Men ingen av dom har ju riktigt vinterskor som är veganska :/
I would also add to your list, pricing. Be realistic in your expectations re how much you should pay for an item. I'm 63 and can recall what my mother paid for a skirt, dress, pants, coat etc for me as a teen in the late '60's, early '70's. How is it even possible that these same items are less expensive today without using slave labour and cheap, unsustainable fibers? H & M is certainly a case in point. Cheap, fast fashion - how is this in anyone's mind, sustainable?
Hearing you say "We're doing X, Y, ZED" warms my little Canadian heart. :P
sicparvismagna zee!
Is it something people don't say much aroud the world? I'm shook!
@@erikaplante-jean7745 In the Dutch alphabet we also pronounce it as zed.
When I traveled around Europe and United Kingdom I found that they also pronounced ‘Z’ as zed as well.
A great way to check a brand is to use the amazing app 'Good On You'. The app is independent and goes through and assesses the brand on all of the things you mentioned in the video. It is relatively new so if you want to find out about a brand that isn't available you can request it is researched. Best of all, it is free to use which is great!
3 years later, i found Good on You maybe a month ago but i love them, read their articles all the time!
I always have troubling telling if toothpaste&deoderant brands are greenwashing. For me it is easy to buy most other things second hand, but items like toothpaste are essentials for me (no DIY recipes have worked). Thanks for sharing your tips, I would love for you to highlight great brands who are actually committed to sustainability in future videos!
Soooo I work at a well known hotel brand and they always say we are green and always putting up cute signs about being green but it’s super contradicting that we give out plastic water bottles at check in. Also housekeepers don’t have the time to recycle and aren’t given any containers to do so. Literally only trash bins. The guest room doesn’t even have the option to recycle.
Everything gets thrown away! The trash is crazyyyy. What’s really scary is we have pallets upon pallets of plastic water bottles ALREADY bought and ready to use. 600 . We clean out probably 100 used plastic bottles a day. Like at some point we should really think about if we are creating a problem. We do have a compost which is nice. And we do recycle boxes. But it’s hard to say we are green when we don’t have a grasp on our own footprint.
Oh man, I can't even imagine how much a waste a hotel must produce! 😬
Suggest and demand recycling containers! Let corporate know.
Not just water bottles but the shampoos and shower gel containers. They must produce a lot of plastic.
Yes! It's so tricky when big companies do this, but you can often tell by their lack of real transparancy and facts as you mentioned, they rather use vague words like: we 'wish' to, we 'strive' to, we've been 'asking questions',... Well, I 'wish' to be succesful in life, but that doesn't necessarily mean I am ;) but for those smaller brands I find it to be harder to tell, as you mentioned Matt & Nat, you really have to pay more attention to the details to spot these contradictions or leftouts, it's more subtle. It makes the list of really trustworthy brands a little smaller... it's difficult!
It is difficult, but there also are a lot of genuine wonderful brands out there! I think there's a balance to being suspicious because unfortunately the greenwashing brands ruin it for the brands that are doing great things.
@@MyGreenCloset yes I believe so, and I think we all strive (woops I use these words myself) to support those genuine brands! Your tips will help for that, and as you also mentioned maybe it is a good thing to ask brands questions when in doubt :)
Would love to see you review some of the "ethical" slow fashion brands like everlane and grana. These are more accessible to me (not a lot of local thrift shops and the few local ethical brands do not fit my style) would love to know if you think they are green washing or not
Frank and Oak too!
Same. I just saw someone on another video talking about an eco friendly silk blouse that Everlane sell. But I thought that silk came from worms so how can it be eco friendly? Yes, they use less toxic dyes (whatever that means) but still kill worms in the process. Am I missing something?
Noelia when they say "ethical" they're only considering humans, unfortunately :( just like how "ethical leather" exists
Ethical is to do with workers, eco stands for ecological, better for the environment... Regarding animal rights, you might want to look for cruelty free.
Well, even cruelty free isn't really what the word we're looking for is. Cruelty free often just refers to "not tested on animals" but may still contain animal products. The golden word here is "vegan"
Great topic! When you see the budget of a company and see how much they spend on marketing and how much on production and sustainability, it is really shocking (marketing numbers are usually through the roof).
I do find this greenwashing quite disturbing because not everyone has time to look for a sustainable brand, write e-mails and read between the lines just for buying a t-shirt. That is where your channel comes in, thanks ;)
I completely agree, it's crazy how much these big fashion brands make and also spend on things like marketing - they could pay everyone fairly and still make profits!
Great video. This title reminded me that Aeropostale is advertising their new Jean collection made from recycled bottles. Obviously this sounds good but their clothes are still horribly fast fashion meaning cheaply made with cheap labor.
There are many small new brands who are trying to start something good but, it is hard to get those certifications or they can't really do a lot of everything. I think when it comes to small businesses we should give them a chance, because actually there are more chances of fair trade with the small businesses because they can't afford to manufacture on huge factories
I had no idea Mat and Nat were so unreliable! Thanks for the information, I’ll definitely be choosing a different sustainable bag when I buy one! Great video, as always 💗
This is so important as a topic for discussion. We have to make sure our actions are making an impact, and not just making us feel good about ourselves! Companies want to capture your dollars. Being an informed consumer is everyone's job. It can get overwhelming but I do think as well doing business with local companies where you can check out their processes and get to know the people really makes a difference. My skincare brand Blissoma is doing our best as a small manufacturers to make responsible decisions and improve as we grow. It's often more expensive to do that but it's why we exist to try and make change! This fall we are going to be getting a set of solar panels for our manufacturing space that will cover our entire electric usage. We are SO excited about this as we have worked towards it for years now. Beyond that we will be able to do even more because it will make it less expensive for us to maintain our space. It's a no brainer!
This was an eye opener! I’ve totally been Greenwashed. I
You’ve just brought the term to my attention and I will certainly be delving further into claims and transparency before making another purchase. Lesson learned.
🙏🏻
I've found an app called "goodonyou" that rates brands on their sustainability and suggests alternative to less sustainable brands. I've found it really useful and some brands surprised me both in a good way and others in a bad way. Love your channel
It's great, I have it linked in the description! Although with any rating site it's always important to look into how they rate/weigh different areas and remember that all the information isn't necessarily available.
A little off topic, but it seems that clothing brands aren't the only ones doing this. I try to buy from the bulk section at stores as much as possible and bring in my own containers. I've noticed that many places such as Kroger's in particular will advertise that because they have bulk they are eco-friendly or are zero-waste friendly, things like that. But then a lot of the time they won't even have the ability to tare the weights of containers you bring in on their registers, insist that you need to use their plastic containers/bags, or the cashiers will overall be confused and disgruntled that you have your own containers, yet they keep on saying they are eco-friendly.
My local organic grocery store doesn't let you use your own jars and containers for bulk also, it's so frustrating!
Very true. The beauty/ skincare/ cosmetics industry is another area where it’s a huge problem...
And yes, my Kroger doesn’t readily allow reusable containers for their bulk foods. Technically you can but their weight isn’t subtracted so unless you are in the financial position to be able to throw money away - & enjoy doing so - glass jars &/ or anything else w/ substantial weight aren’t a practical option. For some things reusable bags can work, ie mesh or other washable materials, but it’s definitely not set up to encourage more sustainable choices.
I’ve also seen some people reusing the provided clear plastic bags, which is of course better than throwing them away each time, but they’re pretty thin & flimsy so realistically won’t hold up more than a handful of times MAX.
Last week someone cared to tell me that my not putting my fruits & vegetables in plastic bags was “dirty”, the exact unsolicited comment being “excuse me, but there’s bags over there. I can’t imagine putting anything in a cart without one. I saw a special report where they tested them & they are filthy.”
Uh yeah....b/c I’m not going to wash them before I eat them?
Another time a presumptuous employee chastised me for putting several different fruits/ veggies w/ different prices in one of my own drawstring (mesh) bags, ie “ma’am you can’t do that. They all have different prices & have to be weighed separately.” I responded cordially that I had every intention of doing just that & simply had them together for transport to the front of the store, as I didn’t have enough mesh bags for each single item to have its own (nor did I care!) I assured him that once at the register I would indeed remove each type of produce from the bag & weigh each separately & he begrudgingly let me be but he still didn’t seem happy about it.😂
This was a super helpful video. Could you possibly do a video focused on the clothing brands that actually are sustainable and who you would buy from. Since you seem to have a lot of knowledge on this topic, it would be a nice reference point for alternative brands.
You can find a large list of brands in my shopping directory! mygreencloset.com/directory/ I also keep updating it :)
This is the first time I've heard of this term, thanks for sharing the history behind it and pointers to look out for when you become suspicious of a particular brand :)
Thank you for the tips! Along the same topic, I’ve come across several brands that proudly claim to be a “Certified B Corporation.” I’m having a hard time getting specifics on what the parameters are for gaining this certification. In my opinion, their site is vague and gives off a generalized message. Any information or articles you may be aware of would be greatly appreciated! Thank you for spreading awareness and helping us all be kinder humans. x
Such a great topic! Something that always concerns me, is when a brand is claiming to be "green" but their products are either super cheap, always on sale, or they're constantly coming out with new items.
I have a few things from Pact that I absolutely love, but the fact that they always have some kind of a sale or deal going on (plus the fact that their clothes are fairly cheap for an eco brand, to begin with), really concerns me. They're Fair Trade and GOTS certified, but I just don't understand how they could actually be paying a living wage, and still be making a profit. :/
I'm not sure if there's really anything to this, it's just something that feels wrong to me, and makes me feel wary of a brand.
Nyomi Byle I checked on this app called Good on You that rates brands based on how sustainable and ethical they are, and Pact has 5 stars! I think Pact wrote an article explaining why it's so cheap. Apparently, it has less steps in its supply chain, which makes the clothes cheaper to produce, and also many brands charge extra simply because they know that we expect to pay more for them.
@@sparkle0859 That's really great to hear! I'll definitely check out the app, and article. :)
GOTS and Fair Trade Certifications both mean their factories have been checked by third parties so that gives me more confidence in a brand like that. Although I've never tried Pact's products, the styles look very basic which is A LOT easier to sew and I believe they manufacture in lower wage countries which would help keep costs down too. Also because they are a larger brand I assume they can order higher quantities which really helps with costs.
However I have heard that they use an excessive amount of plastic packaging in their shipping (like bubble wrap - why would you need that for fabric?) which is why I've never ordered from them. It depends on what your ethical/sustainable priorities are, but for me I ideally like to support eco brand that are also trying to use eco-friendly packaging.
This was helpful to my efforts to avoid falling prey to greenwashing. Oddly enough I've encountered a brand who has been rated well by an independent third party, that doesn't specifically advertise their positive practices or policies. The lack of greenwashing from the brand is striking compared to how inundated we are elsewhere and makes me wonder if I'm missing something!
Not all brands will advertise their sustainable practices and a lot of small brands/designers are pretty sustainable just due to the nature of their business (things like focusing on quality over quantity, efficient use of materials etc.) but their focus is on the clothes and designs and that's what they want the brand to be about. I don't think it's at all a bad thing but it does make it a little trickier if you highly value those sustainable qualities and want to get more info. So definitely if you have questions try reaching out to the brand. :)
LOVED this! Been hoping someone would cover this. Sadly have to agree with you on matt & nat ... as far back as 10 years ago i purchased one of their bags and within a year it was falling apart, and I think their over use of vegan leather can be confusing to consumers ... if you are ever looking for content - i would love to hear your thoughts on real vs vegan leather, since - as you mentioned, pvc and pu arent phenomenal for the environment either. Thanks as always for a great video!
Thanks so much! That sucks your bag fell apart so quickly, I've heard so many bad stories from people about Matt & Nat since publishing my post, they seem even worse than I initially though.
I actually have a video on leather vs. vegan synthetics but it's a couple years old ua-cam.com/video/qW5Yfo4amQU/v-deo.html
oh amazing! Thanks! I figured this is something you would have already covered but mustn't have scrolled down enough - thank you, will watch!
Great video, I elieve this is topic number one right now! Or at least this is what I am thinking about constantly when I need to purchase something. I guess that for me, here are the steps: 1: trying to find a brand that has fair trade certification (fairtrade, b Corp). 2: one that uses either recycled (also certified) or GOTS certified organic material (for clothing). Now so far I have noticed that it's hard to find brands that have it all. But for me, certification is definitely key. And if I cannot find it, I look for second hand, and if that's not possible either I indeed trust my gut, check the website, and usually choose a small company that does amazing things. If something is worrying me/missing information I send them an email: based on their reply or the lack of it I make my decision :) but long and complicated process is totally win-win though: better for the world and better for the individual who won't spend much money on shopping any more as shopping simply becomes a lot harder :)
Thank you, this was very helpful and well thought out. I need to look into the brands that fit in my lifestyle.
Great video! Thanks for calling out those companies. Most of us would never have known otherwise.
When I was at business school in the early 2000's we did a whole a module on corporate social responsibility and it was basically sold to us as the fluffy bit companies have to do to make themselves look good. I don't think greenwashing was a word then but it's made me sceptical ever since
Thank you, I have been searching about the topic of sustainability and green washing and this was very informative!
Awesome eye-makeup!! And thanks for the interesting video(s)!
Great video! It's probably impossible to do anything other than give a general guide of things to look for. And I think, on the whole, even when we make mistakes, at least the message is clear that people *are* looking for greener options and companies doing greenwashing will definitely be aware that they are playing with fire because a damaging media story that unveils, with evidence, that they're actually not doing what they say can potentially be really bad for them.. (Though I'm often disappointed by how quickly they seem to bounce back...). I think it's particularly hard to keep on top of as brands grow and change and sometimes take advantage of their customers' trust in them that was built from their original genuine efforts to be more environmentally friendly, but then those ideals get sidelined in a bit for expansion... :/
For me, I do try to be on top of it, but it's hard sometimes so I find it easiest to, wherever possible, just buy secondhand and try to make all clothes (whether new or secondhand) last as long as possible.
I was thinking of purchasing from Matt & Nat. Thank you so much for telling us. It sucks that they can't be honest with us. I hate H&M Victoria Secret, greedy people.
I had a good laugh when I read Matt&Nat's Ethics and Sustainability section on their website. Especially when they mention that eating vegan is better for the environment. So you should buy their bags?! What??!! They also mention having a good relationship with their factory OWNERS. I'm sure they do... $$$
Such a bummer, we have purchased Matt and Mat for myself and my daughters, specifically thinking that we were purchasing ethically made, green products. Now I feel like I should just knit my own bag!!
Woo! Thank you for taking this up and thank you for the kind words :D
The worst type of greenwashing compensation
EON (German power company) sells "eco gas" instead of biogas. It's basically just natural gas with compensation
CORSIA is a international compensation project for aviation which just compensates carbon emissions and is *exclusive* for carbon reduction in aviation
some compensation projects even steal land from people in other countries. You can guess how long these trees will stay there
etc
But I also admit that I bought a T-Shirt from a shop that claims to care about working conditions and not using chemicals. Though most clothes were made in Europe, there was one shirt made in India. The chemical check happened in China to sell it in Germany...
I'm glad I now know we have second hand shops here
Is J Crew fast fashion? I'm trying to do better and shop more ethical but still shop at J Crew. Thanks for your informative videos!
Cristina Taranu Yes it is fast fashion. According to Good on You, an app that rates how ethical clothing brands are, J Crew only has 2 stars.
👍
Good info. I'm really sad now though. I usually buy second hand, but I just purchased a pair of Matt & Nat sneakers. :'-)
This is great! I am actually doing reasearch on this!
Such an important vid
That is a great point! Thank you so much for this video!
I didnt know about « Matt&Nat »!!!! I’m going to read your article!
"Sustainable/Ethical" brands still have a long way to go. Adding to what you said here, the clothes for the most part I find to be un-stylish. No matter how much a so called "influencer" (eye roll) will try and influence me to believe otherwise.
What kind of styles do you have trouble finding from conscious brands?
Actually, to me is the sizing. I’m really small (5ft2” and 7st) and I normally take a UK6 petite. The way I go about it now is that I try to alter my existing clothes (like turning dresses into skirts), buy second hand, buy well made clothes from a more expensive shop but that are on sale or buy from a fast fashion shop their better made clothes so I can wear them for years and not just months. I have clothes from H&M that I’ve worn for 5-6 years and have a dress from Zara that is 17 years old and still looks in great condition. I also wear my older clothes at home when cooking/cleaning so I can stretch the life of the newer ones. I feel very guilty for buying from some fast fashion brands but I think that if we all shopped less and “slow” down our purchases we can make an impact. If they can’t turn over their stock fast then they’ll realise that consumers are fed up with their practices. I feel sorry for the garment makers but I worry that not buying from that brand it may make them to lose their jobs.
PS sorry for the long post on your thread.
Something different besides the wide crop leg , boxy tops or art teacher vibe. Nothing wrong with these styles, they're just not my style. Also bummed seeing rayon & viscose at such a high price point. Not worth it IMO. For now, I'm sticking to thrifting quality items or just using up & being creative with what I already have. Great topic.
Not sure where you're located but by try checking out brands like Tamga (I did a video with them recently ua-cam.com/video/julxMaKWnYw/v-deo.html), Christy Dawn, Deadwood, Zero Waste Daniel, Armed Angels, Reformation, Thief & Bandit, or Style Saint. There are so many brand that do other styles! If you let me know more about what kind of styles/clothes you wear (ie. colourful, workwear, athletic, etc.) I can give more specific recommendations :)
I was fooled by everlane a few years back. If I had done a little more research instead of taking their statements at face value I would have figured it out. I bought 2 pairs of pants from them that turned out to be pretty disappointing anyway.
Toxic plastic leather is why I opt for second-hand or reclaimed leather instead.
True. But small brands are also doing it nowadays beacuse it's a good marketing.
Although I don't work in fashion industry, from the marketing point of view I have to say this: Fast-fashion industry is by far the worse in the world! It's even worse compared to other traditionally damaging industries such as oil-based (BP etc). 1) It's impossible to have something so fast & cheap sustainably. Even if the claim that they engage in recycling, probably and up to some extent that's a lie! Simply because they use cheap materials which are almost impossible to get recycled. 2) Sustainability has become a mega trend. That's not a bad thing. However, what companies actually do is to take advantage of this trend promoting how much they care about social & environmental responsibility without providing sufficient information about HOW they manage to be as sustainable as they say to be. What can companies can do in order to minimize environmental footprint ? They need to stop measuring success just by ROI/ profitability. Simple as that. In other words, the success of a business should be judged by the societal and environmental impact they have. This means several things such as the establishment of societal & sustainability metrics. Is that possible ? Well...We need time. Some companies do good job but very slowly. Until then and in order to be vigilant, if in doubt, watch out!
Yup. I knew about Mat and NAT
I always wonder if ocean plastic is actually pulled from the ocean, It's easy to make the claim hard to verify for the average person.
My dad is telling me that not buying fast fashion is bad because it will cause workers to lose their jobs. Even if workers are treated unfairly, they will suffer more if they lose their jobs entirely. Does this make sense? I'm confused.
I hear this a lot and talk more about it in this video: ua-cam.com/video/-SWZYE6mAi0/v-deo.htmlm40s
This is also a copy from a response I've previously given to this argument:
It's not about taking away jobs, it's about improving the jobs - having ethical policies, businesses taking responsibility for the well-being and safety of their workers, dealing with human rights and animal abuses etc.
Just because someone is willing or forced to work in horrific conditions to feed themselves and their family doesn't make it okay to take advantage of that. Why should someone else be suffering so you can buy $10 jeans?
There are a lot of factory workers protesting the low wages and awful conditions. For example garment workers in Cambodia were killed for protesting for a living wage which the increase would likely make clothes cost only a few pennies more... Meanwhile the fast fashion retailers that hire these factories are making billions in profit. How is that okay?
VICE news did a piece about how working in the garment industry in Cambodia is so bad that women would rather be sex workers than sew clothes but they're forced to work in factories ua-cam.com/video/EnXhB1XtL2o/v-deo.html and there are tons of documentaries and news reports from various countries that talk to garment workers who want better conditions and wages. Providing a job that people can barely live on is not ethical and these practices shouldn't be supported.
The environmental impact is massive and the human rights abuses and working conditions can be appalling - not something I am at all okay with giving my money to. I would much rather purchase from companies that pay their workers fairly, provide safe places to work in, as well as support, education, and programs to improve the quality of life of the employees, their families and communities. By supporting companies like that they can grow and provide more fair jobs!
Basically if you care about garment workers jobs than support fair paying, safe jobs! We really need more jobs like that, not abusive work environments and jobs that take advantage of people.
You can also watch my video on slavery because clothing is at a very high risk of being made by modern slaves ua-cam.com/video/BhKdVbjp7cM/v-deo.html - not great "jobs" to preserve and support.
My Green Closet I agree 100%. I hate it when people buy from sweat shops just for convenience and personal pleasure. I think that we can transform the fashion industry and make it ethical. Thanks for such detailed replies! I will tell this to my dad.
It’s so bad. You really can’t trust anyone anymore.
Also Mat and Nat are hireing immigrants and deliver them a working visa specific for their company (I'm not knowledgable on immigration stuff, but apparently there is visa you can get that only alow you to work for one employer). As the immigrants wants to stay in montreal, they don't complain about their shitty, non-legal work conditions and they can't quit neither. I don't know much details, but It's what I heard in the union i'm in, the same as their employees (in montreal)
Still better to shop at H&M their bio cotton or recycled material basics than poly mix basics from F21. Some items can't be bought in second hand shops or it doesn't make economic sense to buy them by local small brands. But PVC or any synthetic material shedding microplastics while washing is something that should be banned forever just like plastic straws or plastic shopping bags.
Love, love, love this video!
Nicely explained
Fair Trade is a little fiddly too. Some certified fair trade items are lies too. It’s obnoxious how hard it is to vet things anymore.
One good resource is the Higg MSI (Materials Sustainability Index) which can be found at msi.higg.org They independently track. the impact of materials used. It’s quite reading intense but I feel their work adds a lot of value and helps me make better decisions.
I agree the Higg index is a great resource, but it also has to be taken with a grain of salt because I don't believe it includes end of life - so does the material sit in a landfill forever, or pollute the oceans or biodegrade, which I think is an important component.
THANK YOU💚💗
Hahahaha what was the ad before this video? H&M 😂 at least they pay you for real green content then 🤭
Wow 🤦♀️
Where have your bangs gone? I loved them so much that I cut my own because of how good they looked on you.
Oh cool! I really loved them too but I'm going to be shaving all my hair soon and just wanted a bit of a change before doing that 🙃
i wonder if primark uses green washing too
Do they have a "green" collection? I don't know a lot about them but based on the prices and quality they seem like one of the worst fast fashion brands 🙁
yeah they are, right! but their website seems to look pretty promising, but i'm not sure if they are touting it like H&M
www.primark.com/en/our-ethics
Q: How to spot a greenwashing company?
The answer is sad but true:
A: They sell a product
Not buying a product is almost always better for the environment than to buy it
Hello welcome to "my GREEN closet" lets talk about GREENwashing!!
Holy wow you are so beautiful!
I hope the makeup you are using is ethically produced. Beauty industry is the most cruel.