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The use of plastic has become the biggest environmental issue we face in our daily life, a key issue that global citizens must address. In our daily life, it is all too easy to obtain products in plastic packaging, regardless of size and category. Plastic reduction can start from ourselves, we can greatly reduce our plastic use by making good use of eco-friendly cutlery, bags and even cups when we go out with them.

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A lot of possible questions related to sustainability project

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A lot of possible questions related to sustainability project

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1. Tell me about a (un) sustainable company you researched during this project?
2. What do you think is the biggest problem related to sustainability?
3. What was the most surprising thing you learned during the project?
4. How would you define ethic in business/ sustainability in business/ greenwashing?
5. What aspect of the project did you expect to find most challenging?

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Available at: https://qz.com/2180075/hm-showed-bogus-environmental-higg-index-scores-for-its-clothing/

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Fast-fashion giant H&M showed customers environmental scorecards for its clothing that were misleading and, in many cases, outright deceptive, a Quartz investigation has found.

More than half of the scorecards on H&M's website claimed that a piece of clothing was better for the environment when, in fact, it was no more sustainable than comparable garments made by the company and its competitors. In the most egregious cases, H&M showed data that were the exact opposite of reality.

The findings add to mounting skepticism and new regulatory scrutiny of the fast-fashion industry's attempt to self-police its environmental record. H&M, the world's second largest clothing company by sales volume, produces an estimated 3 billion garments per year, much of which goes unsold or is quickly discarded. It has tried to reform its image as a polluter by committing to new emissions goals and touting clothes labeled as a " Conscious Choice," which were among those displaying the inaccurate data.

H&M removed all the environmental scorecards from its website soon after Quartz told the company about our findings on Monday. Shortly thereafter, a trade group formed by H&M and other major apparel companies said it would "pause" making the scorecard data public while it conducted a review of its methodology. The group said it was responding to a notification from the Norwegian Consumer Authority that questioned sustainability claims made by H&M and other apparel firms that relied on the same data as the scorecards.

The rapid retreat by H&M and its industry peers adds to the argument that there is no such thing as sustainable fast fashion. Even the data now in question, an industry-developed metric known as the Higg Index, merely grades the impact of producing an article of clothing compared to the status quo. It has been widely adopted by apparel makers but brutally criticized by environmental groups.

H&M, based in Stockholm, didn't respond to our detailed questions about how its environmental scorecards went so awry. In a statement, the company said, "We came across a couple of technical issues that we are looking into," but didn't elaborate. It defended the goals of the Higg Index: "We want to be able to share understandable sustainability performance data on a product level and we want this data to be industry standardized."

Tipping the scorecards in H&M's favor

The scorecards in question are called Higg Sustainabililty Profiles. They were created by the industry group, known as the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC), to give customers a way to compare the environmental impact of their purchases. The profiles incorporate factors like how much water and fossil fuels were used to create the materials in a piece of clothing, compared to conventional fabrics.

But in many cases, H&M displayed data that gave a totally wrong picture of a garment's impact on the environment. Those errors came about because the retailer's website ignored negative signs in Higg Index scores. For instance, a dress with a water-use score of -20%-as in, it uses 20% more water than average-was listed on H&M's website as using 20% less.

Hard-coding positive language

In fact, words like "less" and "reduction" were written, or hard-coded, into H&M's website such that its environmental scorecards could only offer a green picture of its clothing, our investigation found.

Of the 600 women's clothing scorecards on H&M's UK site last week, more than 100 of them included errors that made less sustainable clothing appear to be the opposite. The scorecards were in use on H&M's US and European websites since May 2021, but we couldn't determine if the errors were there all along.

Like all retail websites, H&M's contains placeholder text in its code to accompany data about a particular product that's usually fetched from a database. On product pages that included information about the Higg Index, the placeholders assumed only the best. This is what some of the code looked like:

breakdownLabels: {
 waterUse: 'less water use',
 co2: 'less global warming potential',
 chemicals: 'Chemicals',
 waterPollution: 'less water pollution',
 fossil: 'less fossil fuels use'
},

Another bit of placeholder text, now deleted, read "{0} less than conventional materials." The value in braces would change based on the particular data. But there was no alternative text for the many products with more impact than conventional materials.

Scorecards for unremarkable products

The vast majority of items on H&M's website have never included a scorecard. Those garments that did were surrounded by text about their environmental record and included on a special page featuring a women's hand reaching into the clouds.

This section of the H&M site listed products with Higg Index scores.

One might assume these garments were better for the environment than typical, but simply having a Higg Index rating does not mean a garment is more sustainable. Over half of the garments with scorecards in our analysis showed no improvement from the Higg Index's baseline, making them hardly different than the 9,600 other women's clothing items found on H&M's UK site.

On the days Quartz logged the data, over 600 items of women's clothing were listed as having Higg Sustainabililty Profiles. Most showed no improvement whatsoever.

In its statement, H&M argued that displaying a scorecard didn't imply anything other than a commitment to environmental transparency: "We share information on individual products no matter if the score is good or bad. We do this because we believe that transparency is key to driving sustainable change across the industry, as it creates both comparability and accountability, and this will ultimately lead to positive change."

Crackdown on greenwashing

The Higg Index has faced criticism ever since H&M and other clothing retailers launched the effort, but now regulatory scrutiny may force the companies to take a new approach. Norway's consumer protection agency earlier this month sent a notice to H&M that called out the index: "For H&M to avoid misleading marketing, H&M should specifically assess/reassess the justification for using the Higg MSI as a communicative tool in marketing," the agency wrote.

SAC, the industry group, announced on Monday that it was suspending use of the Higg Index in all consumer-facing contexts and initiating an independent review of the data and how it's compiled.

"The Higg Index Customer Facing Transparency Program has temporarily been paused by the SAC and following this decision, we decided to take down the program in all markets' online shops where it has currently been available," H&M said in its statement to Quartz. "This is a gradual process that takes some days and we started with the UK."

Over the past two days, Quartz observed references to the Higg Index disappearing from H&M's websites in the US and UK.

George Harding-Rolls, a campaign manager at the Changing Markets Foundation and a critic of the Higg Index, said the initiative was designed to mislead people.

"The SAC has been providing green paint to paint a very very dirty industry an eco-shade for 10 years, and haven't really shown any measurable results in that time," he said in an interview. "Take those H&M false claims: how many of those products have been bought, or were more likely to have been bought, by somebody?"

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Quartz investigation: H&M showed bogus environmental scores for its clothing

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Fast-fashion giant H&M showed customers environmental scorecards for its clothing that were misleading and, in many cases, outright deceptive, a Quartz investigation has found. More than half of the scorecards on H&M's website claimed that a piece of clothing was better for the environment when, in fact, it was no more sustainable than comparable garments made by the company and its competitors.

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H&M: an ambitious new water management strategy?

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H&M: an ambitious new water management strategy?

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Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/ambitious-water-management-strategy-bangladesh-suppliers

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The citizens of Dhaka, Bangladesh, know a thing or two about fresh water. They know there isn't much of it, for starters. And they know that what exists isn't very fresh. And much of that has to do with the local textile industry.

Bangladesh has more than 1,700 washing, dyeing and finishing units, many of them clustered around the capital. Together, they consume 1,500bn litres of water, much of which is then returned as chemically-charged waste.

Clothing retailer H&M says it wants to help. Many of the clothes in its high street stores started life in Bangladesh. Many others originate in China's textile belt where similar water problems are unfolding. To put that right, the Swedish clothing giant has unveiled what it says is an ambitious water management strategy. "This is about stewardship, meaning that we want to become a leader to take responsibility in the whole value chain," says Helena Helmersson, H&M's head of sustainability.

The strategy includes 30 water-connected objectives and activities in five different focus areas: raising awareness around water, increasing knowledge about water impacts in the value chain, internal actions around water management, engaging external stakeholders, and influencing governments on water policy. The strategy will cover Bangladesh as well as other operations in China and Asia.

It's a laudable ambition. But will it work? There is evidence for hope. First, the strategy doesn't come out of the blue. H&M has a steady track record on tackling water issues, dating back to 2005 when it joined the Better Cotton Initiative. It can claim some notable successes too. In Bangladesh, for example, its main denim manufacturers cut water use by a third simply by cutting out unnecessary washes - the equivalent of by 300m litres.

The high-street brand is teaming up with WWF and from H&M's perspective, the environmental conservation charity brings the local expertise and technical knowledge that it lacks in-house. For WWF, it's an opportunity to move from "ad hoc and piecemeal" engagement with the textile sector to a more "cohesive strategy".

As WWF's fresh water manager Stuart Orr explains: "We're not going to change the world through [changing] one company at a time. We hope that these more holistic partnerships ... will generate a stronger strategy built on everything we've learned and everything that companies are grappling with."

H&M is not the only apparel brand to make a push for water efficiency as Levi's Water<Less jeans or Nike's Materials Sustainability Index demonstrate. However, what's different about this week's announcement is H&M's explicit commitment to look beyond its own four walls and engage others, through a holistic approach.

Challenges ahead

Suppliers, rightly, find themselves at the top of H&M's to-do list. In the first instance, the company has committed to engage 190 of its largest garment producers. That's no small feat, but it still leaves 560 direct suppliers waiting in line.

Further back in the chain, there are fabric producers to consider too. H&M's alliance with the Better Cotton Initiative is helping to address water-use issues at farm level. Helmersson admits that these efforts will need to "increase quite fast" if BCI members are going to meet their goal of 100% cotton from sustainable sources by 2020. Cotton, it needs to be noted, is only part of H&M's fabric mix.

One big sticking point when it comes to reducing water impacts in the garment supply chain is technological innovation. "There's some research in this area, but the challenge is finding the right innovations and scaling them up", says Helmersson.

Working across industry marks another big challenge. H&M says it hopes to "inspire" others to follow its lead. Again, it's a good aim but retail brands are a notoriously jealous lot. With few wanting to play second fiddle, industry-wide initiatives tend to be the most effective way forward.

Bangladesh boasts a model case already in the International Finance Corporation's cross-sector Partnership for Cleaner Textile, which involves 200 garment factories and 15 brands.

Although the strategy has aims and a to-do list, the company says they haven't created targets - another area that they may need to build on to achieve their ambitions.

If H&M's new partnership is to achieve its "holistic" ambitions it needs to look up the value chain too. Customers use water directly in clothes washing and indirectly when throwing them away. Before it tackles changes in consumer behaviour, it needs to get its own employees on board, Helmersson admits. The retailer is therefore planning a communications blitz to all its 94,000 staff this year around water use and sustainability more generally.

The last element in H&M's water strategy is public policy. As Helmersson explains: "It's crucial to have a good dialogue with policy makers, but we need to find ways to collaborate with others to make that happen." She hopes WWF can help here. Realistically, some bigger hitters might be needed too. Wastewater treatment isn't mandatory for Bangladesh's textile industry at present, for instance. If politicians really cared, they could change that tomorrow. It's changing the initial "if" that's tricky.

For its part, WWF is under no illusions about the challenges that lie ahead. "Looking at water is a pretty daunting prospect for any company", says Orr. "You don't solve these issues in five minutes. They take a lot of time, a lot of dialogue, a lot of repetitive action."

H&M and WWF have given themselves three years to get cracking. In fashion cycles, that's a lifetime. Those in China and Bangladesh's textile regions have every right to think the same. Is it worth the wait? They'll be looking to groundwater levels to decide.
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H&M: an ambitious new water management strategy?

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The citizens of Dhaka, Bangladesh, know a thing or two about fresh water. They know there isn't much of it, for starters. And they know that what exists isn't very fresh. And much of that has to do with the local textile industry.

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Available at: https://www.fastretailing.com/eng/sustainability/environment/water.html

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Last Updated: 2022.03.01
to Japanese page

To protect the environment at every stage of the product life cycle--from raw materials sourcing to manufacturing, sale, and consumer use--Fast Retailing strives to prevent and reduce water pollution and reduce water usage.

Policies for Water Resource Management

Water is an essential component when making Fast Retailing apparel. Growing cotton used as raw material for apparel requires significant amounts of water. Fabric dyeing and other parts of the production process also require large volumes of water. We aim to protect the environment at every stage of the product life cycle--from raw materials sourcing to manufacturing, sale, and consumer use--Fast Retailing strives to prevent and reduce water pollution and reduce water usage. A single company can only contribute so much to solving environmental problems. This is why Fast Retailing partners with companies, organizations, and NPOs to protect water resources.

Targets

Fast Retailing

・Reduce water usage related to raw materials
When planning products we encourage the use of materials that can be produced with less water, reducing water consumption. Specifically, our goal is to achieve 100 percent procurement of sustainable cotton among all Fast Retailing Group brands by the end of 2025. The definition of sustainable cotton includes cotton procured from areas where improvements have been made regarding water usage.

Supply Chain

・Reduce water use throughout the supply chain
We evaluate water use at fabric mills, working with them to reduce water consumption. For example, Fast Retailing sets targets for each mill, including water use, through the UNIQLO Responsible Mill Program. Here, our goal is to reduce water consumption by 15 percent of the 2016 levels by the end 2020 - the effort spanning three years from 2018 to 2020.

・Introduce water-saving technologies
We intend to introduce water-saving technologies, named BlueCycle, in collaboration with our production partners. As one example, we have developed a new washing process for jeans that reduces water usage in the jeans manufacturing process, with a goal to introduce such technology to all brands of the Group by 2020. This technology reduces water consumption by a significant amount, incorporating advanced washing equipment that uses nanobubbles and ozone. Fast Retailing is promoting these initiatives across all brands to reduce our impact on the environment.

・Implement water treatment
Fast Retailing requires its core garment factories and fabric mills to conduct wastewater testing based on the ZDHC (Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals) wastewater guidelines and to disclose results via the IPE (Institute of Public & Environmental Affairs) website, an environmental NGO in China. If hazardous chemicals are detected in wastewater, we investigate factories and chemical manufacturers, identifying root causes and implementing improvements.

Customers

・Reduce water consumption by consumers using products
We are researching ways to reduce the amount of water used for washing clothes. We intend to inform our customers about low-water cleaning methods that use less water and energy, which reduces the impact on the environment.

Fast Retailing Initiatives

Product Planning

・Reduce water consumption by using sustainable cotton
We have set a goal to procure all cotton from sustainable sources by the end of 2025. With respect to cotton, we define sustainability as the reduction of use of water, agricultural chemicals and chemical fertilizer; the protection of soil fertility and biodiversity; and the consideration for farm workers' working environment. For us, sustainable cotton means Better Cotton*1; cotton sourced from the United States or Australia, recycled cotton*2; organic cotton*3; Fair Trade cotton; and Cotton made in Africa (CmiA) by definition.

*1 See Better Cotton Initiative, below.
*2 Cotton certified by GRS (Global Recycled Standard)
*3 Cotton certified by GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) or OCS (Organic Content Standard)

・Better Cotton Initiative
Fast Retailing became an affiliate member of the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI) in January 2018. BCI is a non-governmental organization dedicated to the sustainable production of cotton. BCI promotes better cotton cultivation, educating farmers on the proper use of water, pesticides and other agricultural chemicals, and more. Farmers meeting standards set by BCI are certified as Better Cotton producers.

Related links

Supply Chain Initiatives

Fabric Mills

・Reduce water consumption through the UNIQLO Responsible Mill Program
Fabric mills use a significant amount of water and energy in the manufacturing process. To alleviate the environment impacts, UNIQLO launched the UNIQLO Responsible Mill Program, which calls for a reduction in water usage by 15 percent of the 2016 levels by the end 2020 - the effort spanning three years from 2018 to 2020.

Related Links

Garment Factories

・Reduce water consumption in the jeans washing process by up to 99%
We have developed the technology, named BlueCycle, that reduces water consumption in the jeans washing process by up to 99%*, incorporating advanced washing equipment that uses nanobubbles and ozone. Fast Retailing is promoting these initiatives across all brands to reduce our impact on the environment.
*For the 2018 model UNIQLO Men's Regular Fit Jeans, compared to the same products from 2017.

Related Links

Water Consumption

Fast Retailing

Scope of data collection

Yamaguchi Head Office, Roppongi Office, and Ariake Office

Yamaguchi Head Office, Roppongi Office, and Ariake Office

Yamaguchi Head Office, Roppongi Office, and Ariake Office

Yamaguchi Head Office, Roppongi Office, and Ariake Office

Supply Chain

*The figures include estimation data.
Top of page

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Last Updated: 2022.03.01 to Japanese page To protect the environment at every stage of the product life cycle--from raw materials sourcing to manufacturing, sale, and consumer use--Fast Retailing strives to prevent and reduce water pollution and reduce water usage. Water is an essential component when making Fast Retailing apparel.

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Available at: https://goodonyou.eco/greenwashing-examples/

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Let's take a look at eight greenwashing examples, including greenwashed ads and claims made by fashion brands in the last few years.
Are big brands becoming more sustainable, or is it all just greenwashing?

Lately, you might have noticed more and more fashion brands promoting their sustainability initiatives and you might even be thinking "Wow, the fashion industry is becoming more ethical and sustainable!" And while it is in some areas, unfortunately, all that glitters is not green.

In its July 2021 report, the not-for-profit Changing Markets Foundation highlighted that as many as 59% of all green claims by European and UK fashion brands are misleading and could be greenwashing -a stat that seems to apply to the industry at large.

So how do you tell if a brand is greenwashing? Here we take a look at some of the most notorious ads and claims from recent fashion campaigns to help you spot what's green and what's not.

What is greenwashing?

We define greenwashing in the fashion industry as the unjustified and misleading claims from brands that their products are more environmentally friendly than they really are. We see this manifest in various ways: outright deception, subtle advertising, and often as ambitious claims without full transparency around the actual impacts.

Greenwashing is a growing concern nowadays as some companies are trying to benefit from the increasing demand for more sustainable and ethical clothes and other products. Climate activist Greta Thunberg even said in an interview to the Guardian last year: "Many are making it look as if the fashion industry is starting to take responsibility, by spending fantasy amounts on campaigns where they portray themselves as 'sustainable', 'ethical', 'green', 'climate neutral' and 'fair'. But let's be clear: This is almost never anything but pure greenwashing."

As highlighted by Thunberg, companies usually market supposedly "environmentally-friendly" initiatives, like having one tiny "eco-friendly" line (we see you, fast fashion's conscious collections), using recycled packaging, and switching to LED lights in their offices while not addressing critical environmental and labour issues.

How can you tell when a fashion brand is greenwashing?

So, what are the telltale signs of greenwashing? How can you tell when a fashion brand might be less environmentally responsible than they say?

If a brand makes one or more of these 6 claims, they're probably greenwashing:

Impressive-sounding initiatives to reduce carbon emissions at the head office: think solar panels on the roof and an office full of plants. It's a nice touch, but what they should be doing is aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across their entire supply chain, and not just at the head office.

"Eco-friendly packaging" and not much else: keep an eye out for brands that promote minimal, recycled, or "recyclable" packaging as their primary strategy for reducing waste. While this is a great first step, it is peripheral. Promoting this, while not changing a brand's whole business model has little impact.​​

"Energy efficiency": highlighting the use of LED and energy-efficient lighting or sensor lights in stores can sometimes be little more than spin. Many office buildings already have this type of lighting, and it's even a legal requirement in some countries.

Misleading claims and targets: brands are more or less free to set targets for their environmental impact that are comfortable to achieve, sound promising, and may or may not be impactful. In our fashion climate report from COP26, we found that 69% of large brands rated on Good On You, with greenhouse gas emissions targets, do not state whether they are on track to meet them.

Payment of a "minimum wage": very different from a "living wage" or fair wages-the actual minimum wage a garment worker should earn to feed themselves and their families, pay rent, and cover healthcare, transportation, and education.

"Sustainable" ranges and collections: an increasingly common marketing tool with high-volume, fast fashion labels. This "eco" range of clothing is often a tiny portion of their overall production, and it doesn't mean that the brands have made a complete overhaul of their business models overnight. What a brand is really doing here is hoping that the green glow of one initiative will rub off on the company as a whole.

8 greenwashing examples

Below are eight examples of greenwashed ads and claims made by fashion brands in the last few years.

Boohoo's 'sustainable collection'

What the brand says: "Our READY FOR THE FUTURE range uses recycled materials like polyester as we work hard to become a more sustainable brand. Featuring cosy puffer jackets, classic loungewear, and matching tracksuit sets, these are cold-weather staples to wear again and again. [...] Dressing more sustainably has never been easier!"

Sounds promising, but: Looking at the items listed as "sustainable", we found that some were made from acrylic, a type of plastic. While this material could be recycled as the brand says, there's not much proof. In addition to this, some of these items cost below £10. How much are the garment workers in Boohoo's supply chain paid? Not only is Boohoo misleading shoppers, but it's also clearly not taking steps towards lowering its impact on the planet and its inhabitants. This is not surprising, considering we rate Boohoo "We Avoid".

Check out Boohoo's full rating.

SHEIN's appointing a Head of Sustainability

What the headline says: In its latest move to keep up with growing business and fashion expectations, Chinese retailer SHEIN recently hired a head of environmental, social, and governance (commonly known as an ESG officer in the industry).

Sounds promising, but: On the surface, companies hiring ESG officers and similar roles is a positive move. But it's the ultra fast fashion brand's attempt to portray itself as "concerned" with sustainability when its entire business model is built on labour and environmental exploitation that makes this announcement ring hollow.⁠

This comes at a time when other major fast fashion players like Zara have pledged that they will only use recycled or lower-impact materials by some arbitrary year. ASOS and Primark have made similar pledges. Boohoo recently published its list of suppliers after reports revealed poor working conditions and low wages inside its Leicester factories and appointed an ESG professional to its board in October.⁠

These decisions are made, in part, because consumers today-especially Gen Zers-are concerned about the climate emergency and want to buy from fashion brands that show they care about sustainability.⁠ But, SHEIN, you're going to have to do a lot better than that to convince us.

Check out SHEIN's full rating.

H&M's Looop campaign

What the headline says: During last year's Earth Day, H&M announced its new sustainability ambassador, Maisie Williams, and launched "Looop Island" on the Nintendo game Animal Crossing (yes, you read that right) to promote its in-store recycling machine.

Sounds promising, but: While H&M has ​​made some strides toward circularity, this ultimately comes across as greenwashing. An island in a video game won't save the planet. Recycling a few items and encouraging consumers to recycle or buy recycled items can't make up for the 3 billion garments H&M produces every year. H&M needs to make more fundamental changes to its business model and take greater accountability for its actions.

Check out H&M's full rating.

ASOS' circular line

What the brand says: "Style meets sustainability in our innovative new ASOS line, which is all about future-proofing fashion. So, not only are these pieces as eco-friendly as possible, they're also 100% on-point. Think fresh cuts in the season's key colours, with some throwback '90s vibes added in for good measure. The kind of fashion that's good for your wardrobe, and better for the environment."

Sounds promising, but: We dug a little deeper, and unfortunately, ASOS' Circular items aren't as circular as the brand claims. Take this pouch, for example. It's made from polyvinylchloride and polyurethane, two thermoplastic materials which are very hard to recycle and decidedly not environmentally friendly. Where's the circularity in that?

As Sophie Benson argues in The Independent's article, "Progress has to start somewhere, but creating one small collection that cherry picks circular principles is akin to putting a plaster on a broken leg".

These "greener" clothing ranges represent a tiny portion of these fast fashion brands' overall production. "The collections often only offer a small slither of totally available products to buy. And the 'green' element is often not substantiated. We have seen some [brands] call their collection 'green' because it has 20% recycled materials in it or because it is certified by OEKO-TEX Standard 100 (which only tests if the final product has any harm to human health, not environmental health)", according to Kristian, Good On You's Head of Ratings.

Check out ASOS's full rating.

Lululemon's vague claims

What the brand says: "We'll adapt infrastructure to take back products after first use and recycle materials into a valuable next life, including fibre-to-fibre."

Sounds promising, but: It's another vague claim from a large brand. It's good that Lululemon talks about ways to improve its environmental impact. But in reality, it doesn't reflect any meaningful action. What infrastructure are they adapting? When is this happening? What is a "valuable next life"? For a global brand such as Lululemon, there is no excuse not to do its part for the planet.

Check out Lululemon's full rating.

Zaful's manufacturing claim

What the brand says: "We're serious about making sure every single person in that supply chain is safe at work, respected, and earns a living wage."

Sounds promising, but: While we love the mention of a living wage, this statement remains extremely vague. Being "serious about making sure" and simply "paying" a living wage are not the same thing, and the imprecise wording is telling. We couldn't find any proof of how Zaful is ensuring its workers are treated and paid fairly. Zaful lacks transparency and provides insufficient relevant information about how it reduces its impact on people, the planet, and animals. You have a right to know how the products you buy affect the issues you care about.

Check out Zaful's full rating.

Zara's efficient stores

What the brand says: "[We have] 100% energy-efficient stores. The daily operation of our stores is adapted to reduce our environmental impact with systems that allow us to adjust water and energy consumption to the real needs of the store. In addition, the new building and renovation standards of our stores, based on our Eco-Efficient Store Manual, establish the use of more efficient technologies that help us regulate our consumption."

Sounds promising, but: What about reducing the environmental impact of its supply chain? For example, in our latest review of Zara, we found no evidence the brand minimises textile waste when manufacturing its products. And, although Zara has set an absolute target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions generated from its operations and supply chain, there is no evidence it is on track to meet its target. It is also important to remember that Zara has fast fashion traits such as on-trend styles and regular new arrivals. This business model is inherently harmful to the environment, and energy-efficient stores can't change that.

Check out Zara's full rating.

Adidas' Stan Smith advert

What the headline says: "Stan Smith Forever. 100% iconic, 50% recycled"

Sounds promising, but: According to the French Jury de Déontologie Publicitaire (JDP), Adidas' ad broke advertising rules and misled consumers. The advert doesn't inform consumers of the total proportion of the shoe that is recycled and is misleading in its use of the "End plastic waste" logo. The JDP also noted that the claim of "50% recycled" gives shoppers the impression that 50% of the total material used in the sneaker is made of recycled materials, which isn't true.

Check out Adidas' full rating.

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Greenwashing Examples: 8 Notorious Fast Fashion Claims and Campaigns - Good On You

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Let's take a look at 8 greenwashing examples, including greenwashed ads and claims made by fashion brands in the last few years.

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Available at: https://wear-next.com/sustainable-fashion/is-uniqlo-ethical-and-sustainable/

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Since launching in 1949, Uniqlo has grown to become one of the world's biggest brands - but how ethical and sustainable is the Japanese brand?

Uniqlo was originally founded as a textiles manufacturer by Tadashi Yanai in Yamaguchi, Japan. Now a global brand boasting over 1000 stores worldwide, it has won Yanai the title of the richest man in Japan with a net worth of $22.3 billion.

The brand offers timeless basics at a low cost, as well as regular designer collaborations with Jil Sander, JW Anderson and many more.

Here, we take a look at the practises behind the brand.

READ MORE: Is Zara ethical and sustainable?

Is Uniqlo sustainable?

Like Zara and H&M, Uniqlo operates a fast fashion business model. In reality, this can never be environmentally friendly as manufacturing so many new garments creates huge amounts of waste every year. This goes some way to explain why the average American is estimated to throw away 37kg of clothes each year, 85% of which will end up in landfill or be burned.

However Uniqlo is making an effort to improve its sustainability through its repair and reuse program. It collects Uniqlo down garments and transforms them into new products, while the brand also works with NGOs to distribute used clothes to refugees and disaster victims.

In 2014, Uniqlo joined the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) and in 2016, the brand introduced a sustainability department within the company.

The brand now uses some sustainable materials and in 2019, launched the DRY-EX Polo Shirt made with recycled polyester. It's developed technology to reduce the amount of water it uses to produce jeans by 99% and participates in 'cross-industry initiatives to solve the problem of marine plastic pollution'.

It is also a member of the Better Cotton Initiative, has a policy approved by CanopyStyle to manage forestry in its supply chain and has initiatives to reduce water and energy use. Uniqlo has also set a climate change target to reduce emissions in its supply chain, but Good On You report that it doesn't disclose its progress in meeting this target.

In 2021, the brand appointed the manga and anime character Doraemon as their newest Global Sustainability Ambassador. The brand said they hope the character will help promote its sustainability efforts and projects in 'fun and easy understandable ways.' The character joins the ranks of tennis icon Roger Federer, Adama Scott, and Gordon Reid.

In Southeast Asia, the brand have also taken another step toward offering sustainable products. They released affordable period underwear as part of their Airism line.

It's worth mentioning that while Uniqlo are making an effort to be more sustainable, the majority of the brand's garments aren't made with sustainable materials.
Read Uniqlo's sustainability policy here.
Is Uniqlo ethical?

For fashion advice and general chit-chat, join our Facebook group What To Wear Next or follow us on Instagram.

Uniqlo scored 31-40% inn the Fashion Transparency Index, probably because it fails to publicly list its suppliers.

There's no evidence that it ensures a payment of a living wage, but it did disclose policies to protect suppliers from the impacts of COVID-19 by fulfilling orders - something very few brands have managed to do since the pandemic began.

In the largest unresolved wage theft in garment history, Uniqlo has owed 2,000 Indonesian garment workers $5.5million worth of severance pay for over five years, but continues to deny responsibility towards these workers. Read more about this case here.

Uniqlo Animal Welfare Policy

Uniqlo has banned the use of fur, shearling, karakul, angora and has committed to eliminating other animal products such as mohair.

It supports the Responsible Down Standard (RDS) to protect and enhance the welfare of geese and ducks and uses non-mulesed wool.
Read more here.
Uniqlo continues to use leather and cashmere and doesn't explain whether it traces animal products back to the first stage of production.

In 2016, PETA presented the brand with its Innovator for Animals Award for its revolutionary synthetic innerwear technology, HEATTECH, which is cruelty-free.

Wear Next Opinion

Wear Next believes it's important to highlight the negative and unjust practises taking place in the fashion industry. We believe ethics and sustainability are an important talking point to bring about change and we encourage you to contact fashion brands to demand this.

However we understand that sustainable fashion isn't accessible for every body due to various factors, such as budget and the ability to find confidence-boosting clothes that fit. We will continue to offer you fashion inspiration and guidance to suit every body and budget, while also highlighting the unjust systems at play in the fashion industry.

We encourage our readers to shop mindfully and purposefully, ditching impulse purchases as a way to start shopping sustainably. If you want to learn more about fast fashion, we recommend books from this reading list.

Would you still shop at Uniqlo?

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Is Uniqlo Ethical and Sustainable? - Wear Next.

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Since launching in 1949, Uniqlo has grown to become one of the world's biggest brands - but how ethical and sustainable is the Japanese brand? Uniqlo was originally founded as a textiles manufacturer by Tadashi Yanai in Yamaguchi, Japan.

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There is a hint of autumn on the forest floor, and the image seems to present a freedom of nature that we cannot reach just now, exhilarating yet also poignant.
=There is evidence of autumn on the ground, the picture shows natural liberty that we cannot see at the moment, exciting and thoughtful.

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myUCA Library: https://mylibrary.uca.ac.uk/friendly.php?s=welcome

BBC: https://www.bbc.com/

The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/international

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/

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Welcome to all new and returning students and staff!
The Library offers you access to a wide range of specialist creative arts information resources and services to help ensure your learning, teaching, research and creative practice is successful, and whenever you are unsure we are here to help - Contact the Library.

Best place to start is the Library Induction and test your knowledge of the library with the FE Tutorial or Undergraduate Tutorial. If you need help with learning then the Library offers the Learn to Learn Toolkit.

If you need a refresher then start with the Library Induction and test your knowledge of the library with the FE Tutorial or Undergraduate Tutorial. If you need help with learning then the Library offers the Learn to Learn Toolkit.

The Connect Autumn 2021 Newsletter offers a summary of what is new in the library for the new academic year.

If you are new to campus then you can take a look around the libraries to see what is on offer wherever you are before you arrive by viewing the new virtual tours -

In addition to the Library Induction, the Library offers a Research Guide.

As well as the Library Induction, the Library offers a Teaching Guide and also an interactive Teaching Tutorial for teaching staff.

If you are studying or working off campus then the Off Campus Guide provides lots of information about using the library resources and services. Studying Online offers you information about how to study safely online, and details of where to get help when you need it.

The Library will open to external visitors and alumni from Monday 18 October 2021. Arranging your first visit -

1. Please contact Gateway via email in the library at least one week ahead of your planned visit.

2. On the day of your visit, you will need to sign-in at the University’s Main Reception and be issued with a visitors’ ID badge, which you will need to wear.

3. You will need to wear a face-covering while on campus unless you are exempt.  If you are exempt, please can we encourage you to wear a sunflower lanyard.

4. On arrival in the Library, please let the Gateway you have arrived.

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External visitors... The Library will open to external visitors and alumni from Monday 18 October 2021. Arranging your first visit - Please contact Gateway via email in the library at least one week ahead of your planned visit.

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Available at: https://www.utopiast.com/sustainability/7-key-ethical-issues-in-the-fashion-industry/

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Why it's Time to Slow Down: The 7 Key Ethical Issues in the Fashion Industry

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These clothes you bought impulsly might have been cheap to you, but once you add to them the real cost someone else in the world had to pay, you see that cheap in fashion simply doesn't exist. 6.

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Charpail, M. Sustain your style (2017)- " What's wrong with the fashion industry?"
Available at: https://www.sustainyourstyle.org/en/whats-wrong-with-the-fashion-industry?gclid=CjwKCAjwtcCVBhA0EiwAT1fY72wgBIb-Hj_VbDWSHLh5y4G-jjOcoaMsPng8gCo_0h0WucmMBbcmiBoCQagQAvD_BwE#anchor-environmental-impact

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After a quick review of Nestlé’s history of environmentalism (or lack thereof), it’s easy to see why. Just a year earlier, a beach clean-up in the Philippines revealed almost 17% of the litter was from Nestlé products. Bernardo, S, measure meant(2020) -'

What is Greenwashing? A Nestlé Case Study.' (Online, accessed 18.16, 20/06/22)
Available at: https://measurepnw.com/blog/what-is-greenwashing-a-nestl%C3%A9-case-study

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The PR release came out April 2018. Néstle appeared to see the plastic pollution problem and was poised to act.

When businesses announce new environmental ambitions, they're often met with applause. Many people are excited to see big companies acknowledging their impact on the environment. Unfortunately, ordinarily good words from certain companies are bound to ring hollow.

Néstle's "commitments" were met with criticism. Greenpeace publicly declared their plan to be "greenwashing baby steps," and Nestlé's message was largely ignored. The plan committed all the cardinal sins of greenwashing: being too vague, avoiding numerical goals, and enforcing the power of "a collective approach". The idea that saving the environment requires a "collective approach" is especially infuriating coming from one of the world's greatest - and wealthiest - waste producers.

It was too little action, too late.

After a quick review of Nestlé's history of environmentalism (or lack thereof), it's easy to see why. Just a year earlier, a beach clean-up in the Philippines revealed almost 17% of the litter was from Nestlé products. Not to mention the company's questionable water use history. In Michigan, only two hours from Flint, Nestlé pays just $200 to pump 210 million gallons of water per year while Flint continues to go without clean drinking water. This complete disregard of local communities and the environment is a common theme for Nestlé.

If Nestlé truly wanted to protect the environment, they would have to turn their world upside-down and completely change their business practices. But their story tells us something else too - that the signs of greenwashing can be spotted. We, as business leaders and supporters, can identify, publicly reject greenwashing, and commit to greater transparency and accountability.

Companies that "greenwash" create their company with profit in mind and tack on environmentalism only when it's convenient or demanded. Companies that are truly good for our world are created with, and every decision is made with, the environment in mind.

If Nestlé represents greenwashing and what not to do, Klean Kanteen shows us what businesses should do. Klean Kanteen is a B corp that's been evaluating their ecological impact since their founding in 2004. They sell reusable stainless-steel products, like water bottles, intended to replace their plastic counterparts. They would be a pretty sustainable brand if they stopped here, but they don't. Klean Kanteen also tracks and quantifies their GHG emissions, consciously reduces their energy consumption, and offsets any emissions they are unable to eliminate to achieve carbon neutrality. They also have donated over $3 million to nonprofits working to combat climate change. Klean Kanteen takes a holistic approach to environmentalism - one that Nestlé could learn from.

Most importantly, they are transparent. Klean Kanteen posts an annual brand impact report on their website for easy viewing access. Anyone that's interested can read about their worker's benefits and CO2 reductions from transportation practices. Even when their practices aren't flawless, they are honest with their numbers and how/when they will be improved. Klean Kanteen doesn't pretend to have perfect practices. But they do make their practices better each and every day.

The next time you're wondering if something is "greenwashing", ask yourself these questions:

Are they transparent?

Are their goals direct and quantified?

Do they understand their role in battling climate change and are they willing to choose the planet over profits?

We all have a role in protecting the environment. One of the best ways to reject greenwashing and send a message to companies engaged in greenwashing is to vote with your dollar - only buy from companies that are truly committed to social and environmental sustainability.

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What is Greenwashing? A Nestlé Case Study | B Corp Blog

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The PR release came out April 2018. Néstle appeared to see the plastic pollution problem and was poised to act. When businesses announce new environmental ambitions, they're often met with applause. Many people are excited to see big companies acknowledging their impact on the environment.

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“If there’s one thing that’s key to the ethos of the brand it’s longevity. Chopova Lowena’s sustainable practice is a key talking-point, while their desire to do things differently has seen them avoid the standard runway model.” (McCord, 2019)

McCord, B. The face (2019) -'Upcycling 002: Chopova Lowena is the non-conformist clothing label scoring points for its twisted take on traditional wears.' (Online, accessed 15.43, 20/06/22).
Available at: https://theface.com/style/chopova-lowena-sustainable-fashion-ss20

* Recycled materials
Paying homage to their Bulgarian roots, the LVMH Prize semi-finalist and BFC/Vogue Fund finalist designers are giving new life to forgotten Bulgarian fabrics. Emma Chopova and Laura Lowena create intricately handcrafted skirts and dresses from recycled materials and dead-stock textiles. With silhouettes ranging from schoolgirl minis in checked print to kilts made from a mix of vintage Bulgarian fabrics, the duo draws inspiration from Bulgarian folklore and 1980s rock climbing. And the style is catching on, too. Chopova Lowena stockists include Browns, Dover Street and Matches Fashion, to name a few. (Jurkschat, 2021)
Available at: https://togetherband.org/blogs/news/forbes-sustainable-entrepreneurs

At their studio in South Bermondsey, this is evidenced by the medley of vintage Bulgarian fabrics and recycled textiles (we counted a lot of checks and tartans in those stockpiles) which contribute to the composition of their cultish kilts. (Hopper, 2019)
Available at: https://suitcasemag.com/articles/global-young-designer-spotlight-chopova-lowena

Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/07/t-magazine/chopova-lowena-fashion.html

Available at: https://www.dewmagazine.com/chopova-lowena-reconstructing-the-past-redefining-the-future/

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Rock climbing gear, trad Bulgarian get-up and folkloric handiwork may not sound like the trappings of a successful new-gen fashion label, but they've certainly proved fruitful sources for Emma Chopova and Laura Lowena.

Collectively known as Anglo-Bulgarian label Chopova Lowena, the pair met eight years ago while studying for a bachelor's degree in fashion design at Central Saint Martins.

But it took three years - and countless nights out - for the pair to invest in their mutual love of traditional craftsmanship and handmade wears. They enrolled on Central Saint Martins' masters programme as a design duo (the second since Marques'Almeida). And so their brand was born.

The elements that united Chopova and Lowena then are still at the core of the label today: a love of Bulgarian traditional dress, an anthropological interest in the design traits of historic English attire and a non-conformist approach. They tear all of these things apart before stitching them back together again, in a way that feels entirely disruptive within the ready-to-wear space. Think: trophy coats hatched from dead-stock materials, maximalist kilt dresses with extravagant taffeta puff sleeves, and pleated skirts fashioned from recycled tapestries that hang from punk-adjacent chunky leather belts, secured by metal carabiner clips.

If there's one thing that's key to the ethos of the brand it's longevity. Chopova Lowena's sustainable practice is a key talking-point, while their desire to do things differently has seen them avoid the standard runway model. Instead they've opted to create hardbound books in collaboration with photographer Charlotte Wales, allowing customers, fans and fashion-watchers to fully immerse themselves in their collections.

Now, just 18 months after graduating, Chopova Lowena's designs are in high demand, stocked by the heavyweights (Browns, Matches, Dover Street Market) and worn by the likes of Kelsey Lu and Susie Lau. As for their SS20 collection, as ever it referenced by a mash-up of unexpected sources: flying sports like paragliding and parachuting and English traditional dress from the Victoria era.

Here Emma Chopova and Laura Lowena jointly explain the how and why of their non-conforming style vision.

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Rock climbing gear, trad Bulgarian get-up and folkloric handiwork may not sound like the trappings of a successful new-gen fashion label, but they've certainly proved fruitful sources for Emma Chopova and Laura Lowena. Collectively known as Anglo-Bulgarian label Chopova Lowena, the pair met eight years ago while studying for a bachelor's degree in fashion design at Central Saint Martins.

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1. In-text citation
(Author's surname, the year and, if appropriate, the page number)

2. Bibliography
i.e. Robson, D. BBC(2022) 一 "Why showing stress can make people more likeable" (Online, accessed 16.14, 19/06/2022)
Available at: link to website

examples
Robson, D. BBC (2022) - " Why showing stress can make people more likeable" (Online, accessed 16.14, 19/06/22).
Available at: https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20220610-why-showing-stress-can-make-people-more-likeable

YouTube (2014) - 'Harvard Referencing Tutorial' (Online, accessed 09.47, 20/06/22).  Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prETpsgBU4w

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Feeling stressed? There’s no need to hide it. New research shows that exhibiting signs of anxiety may make people respond better to you.

L

Like many people, public speaking once filled me with a sense of dread. As a writer I felt much more comfortable expressing myself on the page, rather than from centre stage.

Strangely, I found that the feelings of anxiety themselves were perfectly tolerable; instead, I was preoccupied with the ways that others would perceive my nervous energy. A slight wobble of the voice, the unconscious biting of my lip – I assumed that I’d be judged harshly for any non-verbal signal that betrayed my lack of confidence. I was experiencing anxiety about my anxiety – a double whammy of worry that made the whole task feel much more daunting.

You might have noticed this yourself before a job interview or important work meeting in front of senior colleagues. And the more you try to suppress your feelings, the harder they bounce back.

According to a striking new study, however, these concerns may be unwarranted. Jamie Whitehouse, a research fellow at Nottingham Trent University in the UK, has shown that visible signs of stress are often appealing, leaving others predisposed to like us and treat us warmly. If so, we need not try so hard to maintain a calm-and-collected poker face – safe in the knowledge that people will relate well to our emotional authenticity.

Magnanimous monkeys

Whitehouse’s interest in stress is rooted in evolutionary theory. Stress is typically accompanied by many internal physiological changes which help us to prepare the body for a challenge. A racing heart, for example, helps to deliver oxygen to the brain and body, which will mean we can react with greater speed.

It is easy to see why these changes are adaptive. Yet many primates, when they are stressed, also reveal characteristic 'displacement' behaviours – such as nervous scratching of the skin – which don’t seem to serve any obvious purpose in handling the situation causing their discomfort. So why would they evolve?

One possibility is that these behaviours help smooth over social interactions within the group. Primate groups are often complex, with alliances between members and established hierarchies, and meeting a potentially hostile individual could be an important source of stress. The displacement behaviours may act as a subtle signal that shows this discomfort and reduces the risk of a needless confrontation. For the higher-ranking individual, it could be the cockier rivals who would most need taking down a peg or two, after all – not necessarily those who are already nervy.

Our body language can expose our levels of stress - but this can bring us benefits, the research indicates (Credit: Getty)

Red-faced apologies

Whitehouse’s study chimes with experiments examining the effects of blushing from embarrassment. Many people feel uncomfortable with their shame being broadcast so overtly – but like the nervous mannerisms that Whitehouse studied, our reddening faces can actually improve the way we are perceived by others.

Consider a recent study by Christopher Thorstenson, an assistant professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York state. In a series of experiments, he presented photos of embarrassed faces accompanied by vignettes describing socially awkward situations, and then questioned participants about the people’s reactions. The participants were told, for example, “You catch these people telling a lie. Which face looks more embarrassed?” and “These people apologise for cheating on a test. Whose apology is more sincere?”

Thorstenson found that a slight blush to the face increased the participants’ rating of embarrassment and sincerity, and it increased the likelihood that they would forgive the person for the transgression. “It signals appeasement to others,” he says – and unlike other non-verbal cues, like facial expressions, a blush cannot be faked easily. It is therefore seen as a sign of honesty which, in turn, makes you more likeable.

Whether we are nervously biting our lips or glowing like a neon sign, it can pay to show some emotional authenticity.

Missed cues

Leah Mayo, an assistant professor at the Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience of Linköping University in Sweden, is intrigued by Whitehouse’s results. Her research has examined the characteristic facial expressions that are associated with stress, and she suspects that people’s responses to our non-verbal signals will depend on context. When someone sees us giving a speech or presentation, for example, it is obvious why we might be feeling nervous – and this knowledge of the situation leads the other person to feel more empathetic. “In that case, you could get a ‘tend-and-befriend’ response,” she agrees.

But the reaction might not be the same if someone saw us scowling and jittery in the office, without any clues about the source of our worries, Mayo adds. In these situations, observers may easily misread stress signals for hostility or anger – and a further explanation may be necessary to help them read the cues correctly.

Clearly, we should be careful about making too many broad generalisations from this research. Whitehouse, however, hopes that his research can at least offer a breath of relief for anyone who is nervous about a presentation or a job interview – the specific context of his study. “A nice take-home from this research is that it’s sometimes OK to be stressed and look stressed,” he says. “You don’t have to try so hard to suppress it.” Provided that you can still reveal your knowledge and competence, you won’t be judged harshly for betraying your nerves.

When you allow your feelings to be more transparent, you may also find that the whole experience feels less overwhelming. Whitehouse points to a separate study which found that people who show more overt stress tend to get over their discomfort more quickly than those who keep their anxiety hidden. The altered attitudes of others could offer one mechanism, he suggests. “Producing stress behaviours may elicit a more co-operative response, which may in turn allow that individual to recover from stress much more quickly.”

There is also strong evidence that our mindset about stress can determine its consequences: people who see anxiety as energising tend to perform better in difficult tasks than those who fear the feelings and assume that they are inherently debilitating. A recognition of its social value could just be one more reason to view our discomfort a little more positively.

I’ve certainly found that this attitude can help with my public speaking. By learning to accept my pre-talk nerves, I have stopped feeling anxious about my anxiety. As a result, I find that I can focus more of my mental energy on the message I want to deliver – safe in the knowledge that my audience will react more warmly than I could have previously imagined.

David Robson is a science writer and author of The Expectation Effect: How Your Mindset Can Transform Your Life, published by Canongate (UK) and Henry Holt (USA) in early 2022. He is @d_a_robson on Twitter.

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Why showing stress can make people more likeable

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Feeling stressed? There’s no need to hide it. New research shows that exhibiting signs of anxiety may make people respond better to you.

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Tom is from China, he's going to study Fashion business and management, which is the same as my major. Even though we have totally different interests, he likes to go to the gym and I don't like any sports, but we both are very organised and easy to get along with, so I think we can make good housemates.

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Today's course experience reminds me that when I graduated from university, in order to have a different life experience, I chose to study in a place where I could not speak the language 一 Tokyo. At the beginning, life was really hard, I had to spend two or three hours pre day in supermarkets just to understand what each product was, what it was used for, and what was those products in Japanese. At first, I did this just for living, but after three months, I found my Japanese ability improved greatly,  which I didn't expected and turned out really well. I found out that learning into life will be unknowingly rapid progress. From now on, I’m going to learn English in the same way so that it won't become a pressure. I think amazing things can happen when you look at the same thing from different perspectives.

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I'm Hayley from Taiwan, where is so much delicious food and fruits country.  I'm going to study a Master degree of Fashion business and management at UCA. I'm so interested in fashion and art, I used to work in an art gallery in Taipei city. During these years of work, I realised the importance of business and management in any industry as well as the art industry, so I decided to choose this subject at UCA. Another reason is that I want to give myself some rest time and get back to my role as a student.
As a foreign student, there must be culture shock, and I think learning professional knowledge in English will be the biggest challenge I will face at UCA, but I believe that I can overcome it!
In the future, I  hope to use what I've learned at UCA, and take a position in management in a brand.

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1. Get an Easycard before you take public transport.
2. If you want to see a fantastic night view, I recommend going to Taipei 101 Observatory.
3. You should visit night markets and try some different local food.
4. Taking the MRT is the best way to travel around Taipei city.

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The brand I like is Polene, it's a Parisian leather goods brand founded in 2016. I was attracted by this brand for the first time because of a drama series, called "Emily in Paris". This brand of bags are often paired with the main character's outfit, so I'm so impressed about it. It gives me a sense of fashion, and I think it represents a feeling of self- assured.