Sustainability: Are Brands Using Greenwashing Campaigns to Produce More?

Purpose

When Intentionality first started I wanted to bring awareness to the waste streams created by the fashion industry through its production, distribution, and advertising schemes. Creating awareness would help reduce or help consumers completely let go of certain practices within the industry and also help them make better purchasing choices. I slowly started to realize that the industry, mostly through large conglomerates’ profit obsession, was not determined to make any monumental changes. They were not reducing waste, instead, they would dress waste up as sustainability, continue to produce at ridiculous rates and continue to make a profit. No one is interested in the thrifting culture unless it is a cool Instagram hashtag. We live in a society that only cares about the success of those who are already on top and at the cost of the environment, the working class, and the planet as a whole.

The Reason for Pursuing Sustainability

Sustainability exists for the purposes of reducing production, fair working conditions for all, and coming up with solutions for the many products we’ve produced since the beginning of time. Being sustainable is not meant to make us feel better about ourselves because let’s face it, we’ve already created enough damage. Being sustainable is a way to encourage the human race to stop being selfish by polluting and looting the earth’s resources. Instead, we make ourselves look better by supporting brands that continue to use greenwashing campaigns. We go on and on and on about how large corporations should not possess the power that they have, but we give them the power by supporting their bogus campaigns and not questioning their intentions.

What Can We Do For Now?

It is extremely disappointing to see how many youtube channels exist now to promote sustainability in fashion and all we get to see are people filling up their wardrobes with more clothes. No education, community awareness, and certainly no collective movement to make a positive change. We are more concerned with how vintage our look appears to be or how little chemical is used in the dye used on our sustainability-inspired tie-dye t-shirt. I am no saint in all of this, but all I can say is we’re not doing enough. We are killing the earth and no new methods of production are going to reverse the damage we have caused our planet. We are in trouble and the only solutions worth exploring are those of dealing with what already exists, not how we can produce more for less.