The costs of sustainable clothing
There is no getting around the fact that sustainably made products have a higher price tag. There is no possible scenario where the more sustainably produced raw materials are available at the same costs as the it’s counterpart which is designed for low costing and not sustainability. With living costs on the rise, the increased retail price of a piece of clothing is a key factor that decides the future of sustainable clothing. When the costs of sustainable clothing start to turn away consumers, things take a turn for the worse.
LONDON – New research has shown that 55% of 2000 respondents has said that sustainable clothing is too expensive.
Sustainability, unfortunately, increases costs across the entire supply & distribution chain. From material choice to return policy, the direction you set will need to balance a carefully calculated costs benefit ratio.
When you ask your clothing manufacturer if there is anything you can do that makes your supply chain more sustainable but at the same time isn’t a serious cost booster, the answer is yes. Let’s look at a few options below:
- Start with your packaging. Eliminate plastic and replace it for non-plastic. It will cost you a bit more, but not as much as you would expect. And it works just as well at protecting your nice production as plastic does.
- Rework your labelling. Replace polyester labels for cotton which is biodegradable. Add a bigger hang tag with a special seal to your garments to reduce excess return from consumers that buy for single use and then return. With a big tag and a seal, they can’t wear it other then just trying it on at home.
- Carefully match your collection’s sizing and have all designers work on the same body measurements. The better your sizing, the lower your returns.
- Always meet your minimums and use up all your production materials. Producing below minimums always means extra wastage. Unused production materials cause a serious amount of extra waste.
- Work in advance to avoid close deadlines and excess air freight.
For more information on sustainability please also look at our page on sustainable clothing production.
We are a clothing manufacturer located in Hangzhou, Zhejiang. If you are interested in working with us, you can reach out to us here!
We have helped many brands & retailers carefully balance the costs of sustainable clothing in today’s market place.