FASHION’S INCREASING FOCUS ON SUSTAINABILITY
We all know the joy a new clothing purchase can bring – but at what cost?
It’s been nine years since the Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh claimed the lives of more than 1,100 garment factory workers, shining a harsh spotlight on “fast fashion” and calling the fashion industry to account. The tragedy highlighted the inhumane working conditions and lack of safety in many factories producing clothes for global brands, and sparked the “Who made my clothes” movement with demands for greater supply-chain transparency and a move away from fast fashion. This movement has continued to gain momentum and last year Woolworths became the first major South African clothing retailer to make its supplier base public.
We chatted to Woolworths’ Group Head of Sourcing, Lawrence Pillay, to find out how the Covid-19 pandemic has underscored this shift in trends and what Woolworths is doing to ensure its products are responsibly sourced.
How has the pandemic changed consumer behaviour?
The world has changed dramatically over the past two years, with people reassessing their priorities and placing more value on shared experiences like quality family time, eating out and holidays. With this shift in focus, disposable income that was previously being spent on fast fashion is now being put towards experiences that people feel add value to their lives.
There has also been an increased interest in sustainability. During lockdown, we witnessed nature flourish as human impact on the environment was minimised, and this dialled up the desire to support sustainability initiatives. Now almost every major retailer is talking about sustainability and doing things with more consideration. The philosophy of “fast fashion” has come into question. “Fast fashion” is about speed to market, whereas “slow fashion” considers the processes, impacts and resources required to make clothing.
What does sustainability mean for the clothing industry?
People want to invest in products they can trust, that are durable, high quality and have longevity. For example, they want a basic white T-shirt made with sustainable fibres that can be worn for many seasons, rather than a high-fashion T-shirt they can only wear for three months. While there will always be an element of fast fashion for the younger generations, there is a deeper appreciation for durability and sustainability. We are also seeing a rise in circular fashion, with the re-selling of pre-owned or “preloved” garments.
What have these changing trends meant for Woolworths?
We have been on a sustainability journey for over 20 years and are the only major South African retailer who has achieved significant milestones in responsible sourcing
LAWRENCE PILLAY
Woolworths’ Group Head of Sourcing
Woolworths has never been a disposable fashion brand. We are a retailer anchored in quality and trust, selling beautiful, timeless, essential pieces that surpass a single season. We have been on a sustainability journey for over 20 years and consequently we are the only major South African retailer who has achieved significant milestones in responsible sourcing and ensuring the factories that supply us are ethically and socially compliant.
For example, cotton, the fibre we use most, is all responsibly sourced. Our second most used fibre, viscose, is currently over 90% responsibly sourced, and we aim to reach 100% by the end of this year.
We are also constantly increasing the recycled plastic content in our polyester and to date the equivalent of 30-million plastic bottles have been deferred from waste streams and recycled and repurposed into our products as fabric or fill.
Importantly, we are the first large South African retailer to publicly declare our supplier list on our website, showing we are confident that all our clothing supply factories are ethically and socially compliant — their workers are treated with dignity, paid the right wages and their work environment is safe. We take environmental and social responsibility seriously — and know our customers do too.