The ecological crisis has been a
long debate over the past few years. There are a number of issues that have
evolved including global warming, gas emissions, deforestation and high use of
oil. All of these factors play a key role in shaping our planets future and
ultimately affecting our lives. Change has to be implemented immediately in
order to prevent our ecosystem from suffering.
One of these harmful issues is instituted in the
construction practice of products. In the Designer's Atlas of Sustainability, Ann Thorpe claims that designs that are made
from materials that require natural resources directly affect the environment
by depleting the resource, as well as later on in its life cycle. It is
important to analyze this issue closely and think about the choices we make on
a daily basis. The way products are being made impact our environment, but we
can surely alternate the materials being used to better improve our planet’s
future. We can also review a products contents and reputation prior to
considering the purchase of the product. If a product is made with natural
resources that are exposing our planet to waste and is not resourceful, we can
make the decision as to weather or not we want to purchase such product. As
consumers we have the right to make these decisions that will make an impact in
the long run.
A designer that designs a product using wasteful
materials does not care about the environment and the planets future. As
Armstrong and LeHew mention: a caring designer will “slow design” products tailored around the social and environmental impact of a product and will care more
about those two elements than his/her economic well-being. With this method
designer will tailor their designs around the well being of society and the
planet, therefore creating sustainable designs. Making these kinds of products
available for the consumers comes to show that the designer is taking charge
and is willing to make a difference in the planet. Essentially, consumer
behavior is what drives retail business and it is up to the business owners to
instill environmentally-friendly practices from the start of any production
process in order to service there customers completely.
Consumption heavily relies on what is important to
the customer and the way they view quality of life. Forum of the Fashion states
that a high quality product is one that benefits both the consumer and the
planet. This supports the idea that consumers are looking past the brands,
prices and company popularity, and are digging deeper to find out business
practices and product manufacturing practices. Other trends in consumer
behavior include the convenience of shopping and the fact that although
consumers may be price-conscious, they still want high quality, durable
products (Engebretson, J). Consumers do not want to drive for miles to
purchase a simple product, especially with our fast paced society where
everyone is always in a hurry. One-stop shops are becoming more and more
popular and stores are opening longer during holiday seasons to accommodate
more busy schedules. Internet shopping is also extremely convenient, especially
when consumers have access to the Internet from their phones where they can
purchase certain products. Online shopping has become increasingly popular in
order to satisfy consumer demand for fast fashion. Most of the times, consumers
rely on the Internet to find the best deals or simply for the convenience of
it. Sustainable designers can use this trending retail channel to easily reach customers.
Our economy has slowed down some retail business, but
customers are still looking for certain products and turning to sustainable
companies. With the ecological crisis, some individuals are becoming more aware
about the small changes we can make to build a better future for our planet and
for ourselves. It is important to instill these changes in everything we do.
The clothes we wear, the car we drive, the house we live in, the energy we use,
and the overall waste we produce; all contribute to the ecological crisis but
by making not one, but rather many changes to our lifestyles, we can surely
lead the way to a greener, healthier, more sustainable future!
Engebretson,
J. (1997). Beyond internet access.
Fashion finds ways for sustainability. (2008). Turkish Daily News.
http://www.ecofashionworld.com/
http://www.theecologist.org/
http://www.nytimes.com/pages/style/index.html
Fashion finds ways for sustainability. (2008). Turkish Daily News.
http://www.ecofashionworld.com/
http://www.theecologist.org/
http://www.nytimes.com/pages/style/index.html
I don't know if you've ever heard of the brand 'Jedidiah' or not, but they have a hope collection that's mission is to use apparel sales as a vehicle to provide care, support and financial resources to those in need. It's not technically a factor of the industrial ecology, but your statement on 'customers are still looking for certain products and turning to sustainable companies' reminded me of that. I really appreciate reading your views about the ecological crisis. It caught my attention.
ReplyDeleteI had never heard about that brand, but I will definitely look into it! Sounds like they are trying to contribute for a change. Perhaps customers are attracted to this company because they know that they are not only achieving the personal satisfaction of buying a new product, but at the same time they are promoting the welfare of humanity. Kind of reminds me of Toms-one for one concept. Thanks for the suggestion Nic!
DeleteI know! It does make me wonder if the reasoning for charitable retail is for the greater good of society or if it is only to gain consumers sympathy. If so, that would be a great marketing technique.
DeleteI think there are good and bad people in the world; and some will do it because they genuinely want to help society, but others might be taking advantage of the positive brand image that they can get through charity.
DeleteVery true. As long as they are contributing in some way, why not benefit from it.
DeleteAt the beginning of your post you mentioned that the use of natural materials was not ideal because it depletes the amount of resources available. So in turn consumers should avoid it. What do you think is a better alternative to natural materials, man-made? I believe that consumers are actually leaning more towards buying products that are natural because they think that it is better for the environment. They might associate the term natural with organic, sustainable, or even healthy. Do you think that natural resources should be avoided altogether or maybe just the large amount that is used?
ReplyDeleteThat is a good point, Ashley. There is a common misconception among consumers that "natural" is better. That word is generally overused by marketers, which perpetuates the problem. Life cycle impacts of fibers really have to be analyzed on a case by case basis, since there are multiple factors that contribute to a reduction in enviro impact.
DeleteI agree with you, customers are indeed leaning towards products that are made with natural resources because they are biodegradable and less harmful to the environment. However, I was referring to the natural materials used in the production process of a product, such as water. As Fashioning Sustainability mentioned "over 10 tonnes of water are used to grow enough cotton to make 1 pair of jeans".
ReplyDeleteI understand that water is an essential part of the cotton production, but maybe as you mention we could decrease the excessive amount of natural resources being used. It is upsetting that there is so much water being used to produce a pair of jeans when there are unfortunate countries suffering from acute water shortage.
wow i did not know that much water was used for just one pair of jeans. It seems that a lot of problems stem from the excessive amount and use of things.
DeleteHi, Stephanie;
ReplyDeleteYour blog is comprehensive and well written. Nice job! Were you able to find some industry examples of the design approaches discussed in the Armstrong article? I notice you cite Eco Fashion World at the bottom, but don't see examples?
Unfortunately I was not able to find a particular example when I was doing research for blog #1, which is why I did not include any. However, after doing some more research for my final project I remembered that some time ago I had read an article about fabric being made out of milk protein. So I began research on the concept.
DeleteI found that Anke Domaske a microbiology student/fashion designer was experimenting with the fabric (officially called "Qmilch") and is already using it in her own clothing line. I learned that the fabric is beneficial to people who have sensitive skin and suffer of irritation problems from other fabrics (something that designers rarely take into consideration); along with it being able to regulate blood circulation. Environmentally, the fabric benefits the planet because it only requires the use of a half gallon of water to make 2 pounds of fabric, while cotton takes more than 10,000 liters of water to produce the same amount of fabric.
This concept supports the approach of "slow design" because the fabric is tailored to the welfare of society and the environment, rather than the economic well-being.
Hi, Stephanie; I am wondering if this milk protein substance used to make the fiber competes with our food supply. There is some controversy right now in regards to new fibers like Ingeo made with corn. It's great that the fiber is then biodegradable, but we need corn as a food crop, so they are in competition. What do you think?
DeleteI am not familiar with the Ingeo controversy going on, but I don't see how it could be a problem since according the documentary Food Inc."corn production has spiked from a historical 20 bushels per acre, up to 200 bushels". This of course was made possible "through the use of fertilizers, herbicides and genetically modified seeds" (toxics that are damaging the environment).
DeleteAmerica is now producing so much corn that even our meet industry is using it to feed livestock, although "a cow’s digestive system is meant to process grass, not grains, this then becomes a breeding ground for dangerous bacteria" that has been known to cause deaths, but that's another subject.
So, I think that if we are using our food sources like corn to unhealthily feed our livestock, why not use it instead to make an outfit. As far as the milk supply, how many of us dump away past due milk or how much milk is discarded at grocery stores. Maybe there should be an initiative to recycle milk.
I agree with ashley's post. Most consumers think natural fibers would be better for the earth than man-made fibers. If you think about it though both natural and man-made fibers have their down sides they are just different effect o nthe environment.
ReplyDeleteYou are right, both natural and man-made fibers have their pros and cons on the environment! Perhaps a balance between the two would be the right formula.
DeleteI agree 100% on changing our lifestyles as a whole. We can't expect to see improvements in sustainability if we only alter certain aspects and beliefs that we possess. Changes should be made in the way we buy, eat, dress, cook, clean, and et cetera.
ReplyDeleteYes, and it might take some time but it would be all worth it!
DeleteI think whatever plan we put in motion to further sustainability will take time!
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