The just-style green report
Report description
The report considers moral issues in the supply chain that starts with fibre, moves through fabric then garment manufacturing and ultimately becomes apparel sold to consumers at retail.
The research addresses four main areas of interest in ‘greenness’:
1. Are the companies, both retailers and clothing brands, acting ethically?
2. Are the products that they sell produced sustainably?
3. Is trade conducted on a level playing field, in a fair manner?
4. Do the companies, both retailers and clothing, behave with corporate social responsibility?
This latest just style report investigates green compliance from three different points of view:
- How governments and other authorities attempt to impose compliance upon the fashion retail and clothing supply and manufacturing industries;
- How individuals and pressure groups strive to force compliance on the fashion retail and clothing supply and manufacturing industries;
- How the companies in these industries independently manage compliance.
Issues considered include, amongst others:
- Is compliance a moral issue?
- Is it good business practice?
- Is it a marketing tool?
Leading people active in the field have been interviewed and their opinions canvassed, including interviews with The Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI), The All Party Political Group for ethical fashion (APPG), The Centre for Sustainable Fashion (CSF), Marks & Spencer, The Fairtrade Foundation, The Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF), and Hennes & Mauritz (H&M).
The report then questions the argument that behaving responsibly will also deliver the optimal commercial outcomes by retaining customers, increasing sales and maximising profit.
Findings from the 600 respondees of the just-style green survey are analysed, and the following key areas are discussed chapter by chapter:
- Ethics: Are fashion retailers and clothing suppliers acting ethically?
- Sustainability: Is the merchandise sustainable?
- Fairtrade: Is the clothing trade conducted on a level playing field, in a fair manner?
- CSR: Do fashion retailers and clothing suppliers behave with corporate social responsibility?
Finally, just-style’s conclusions on the industry's relationship with green issues are presented.
Read more about this report with just-style's research article here
Table of contents
Why be green?
Chapter 2 The argument
Whose job is green anyway?
The overlap between the elements of green
The argument against
The argument for
Chapter 3 The just-style green survey
Green has become a real issue, not just posturing
The survey questionnaire
The survey results, questions 1-4.
The survey results, questions 5-7: responsibility, effectiveness and morals in the fashion business on green issues
just-style’s survey summarised
Chapter 4 Ethics: Are fashion retailers and clothing suppliers acting ethically?
Some examples of recent ethical practices
The Ethical Trading Initiative
Government, pressure groups or industry self-regulation?
just-style’s commentary on ethics
Chapter 5 Sustainability: Is the merchandise sustainable?
Some examples of recent sustainable practices
Environmental laundering
From sheep to chic
EU recycling legislation
Estethica, the sustainable activity of the British Fashion Council
The Sustainable Clothing Action Plan (SCAP)
The Centre for Sustainable Fashion (CSF)
The Environmental Justice Foundation (EJF)
just-style’s commentary on sustainability, and the stance of Marks & Spencer
Chapter 6 Fairtrade: Is the clothing trade conducted on a level playing field, in a fair manner?
Fairtrade labelling’s international history
An example of Fairtrade practices
The role of government in Fairtrade
The Fairtrade Foundation
The Environmental Justice Foundation
just-style’s commentary on Fairtrade
Chapter 7 CSR: Do fashion retailers and clothing suppliers behave with corporate social responsibility?
Government legislation and pressure group activities on corporate social responsibility
A big retailer company example of corporate social responsibility
A clothing industry example of corporate social responsibility
CSR according to Lee Ahrendorff, and a criticism from John Zarocostas
just-style’s commentary on corporate social responsibility
Brandix, Sri Lanka: A green apparel manufacturing plant
Chapter 8 just-style’s conclusion on green
How green is the fashion industry in 2010?
Conclusions on the survey
Conclusions on the issues
Conclusions on morality, business policy and marketing
List of figures
Figure 1: The three spheres of sustainability
Figure 2: The three spheres of corporate social responsibility
Figure 3: The just-style CSR chart
List of tables
Table 1: Question 1: Classify yourself into one or more of the following ‘green compliance’ categories
Table 2: Question 2: How interested are you in green issues?
Table 3: Question 3: How involved are you in green issues?
Table 4: Question 4: Which elements of green capture your attention?
Table 5: Question 5: Who do you think is responsible for green in clothing?
Table 6: Question 6: Rate the following in terms of their effectiveness within green compliance
Table 7: Question 7: Do you agree or disagree that green compliance is:
Related research categories
By sector: Manufacturing
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Current time at just-style headquarters: 10:35pm (Sunday, 19 May 2013)
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