This App Will Change How You Shop For Clothing
Recently, I have become more and more aware of how the clothing I purchase affects the environment. It was around November of 2019 when I began to investigate the brands I frequently bought my clothes from and discovered how horribly these brands were affecting our planet.
From my exploration, I read all about the fast fashion industry and how negative it is. In case you’re not familiar with what fast fashion is, fast fashion is an approach to the design, creation, and marketing of clothing fashions that emphasizes making fashion trends quickly and cheaply available to consumers (Merriam-Webster). Essentially, this means that major clothing corporations are mass-producing trendy clothing extremely cheap. Not only that, but these clothes that are being produced typically only last for one season.
The fast-fashion negative effects consist of carbon emissions, fossil fuels, pollution of water, the agriculture and cultivation of raw materials, the increase of landfill waste, the major health risks for workers, and modern slavery and human exploitation. You can read more about these concerning effects on: www.weekendinspirations.com/the-negative-impact-of-fast-fashion/.
After gaining more knowledge about sustainability, I began to research ways I could purchase my clothing in a more ethical manner. Finally, through all of my surfing across the internet, I came across the website called Good On You. Good On You is a website and app that rates clothing brands based upon their labor conditions, their environmental impact, and whether or not they use animal products or test on animals.
For example, one brand I’ve been purchasing from for years is Patagonia. On the app, Patagonia is rated as ‘Good.’ Good On You claims, “Patagonia has good policies to audit suppliers in its supply chain and to eliminate hazardous chemicals in its supply chain.” Their ratings as far as labor conditions received a “great” score, while the environment and animal categories both received a “good” score.
According to the website’s FAQ, Good On You was established by Ethical Consumers Australia, a non-profit organization. They are a commercial business that is driven by a social mission — to create a world where consumer choices drive business to be sustainable and fair. The FAQ page goes on further to explain the importance of their app/website and how it will better the earth.
To answer the question as to why Good On You is important, it reads:
“We believe it’s too hard for people to make good purchasing choices. There are thousands of products on the market, dozens of ethical issues, and there simply isn’t time for most consumers to do in-depth research on their purchases. We know people care about working conditions, animal welfare, and the environment, and we want to drastically decrease the effort required for people’s shopping baskets to reflect their values. Ethical consumption doesn’t have to be a niche activity. Good On You will make it a real option for millions of consumers around the globe.”
This app has changed the way I shop for good. I have opened my eyes and realized that how I used to shop was not sustainable in the slightest. I now look up each and every brand I may purchase from on Good On You before I proceed to buy their products. I hope everyone who reads this learned something about sustainability and downloads Good On You to help influence their future clothing purchases.
References:
Directory.goodonyou.eco, directory.goodonyou.eco/brand/patagonia.
“FAQs.” Good On You, goodonyou.eco/faqs/.
“Fast fashion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fast%20fashion. Accessed 31 May. 2020.
“The Negative Impact Of Fast Fashion.” Get Inspired + Become Inspired, 6 Aug. 2018, www.weekendinspirations.com/the-negative-impact-of-fast-fashion/.
