Can we ever truly be sustainable ?

I recently took a short online course on sustainable fashion from Central Saint Martins, and whilst very much enriching, it wasn’t nearly long enough to cover the transformation the industry is going through. These changes are not just applicable to Fashion, but it’s certainly been leading the way. CPGs, on the other hand, have been a bit slower to adopt more sustainable practices.

When it comes to sustainability, we have to consider the whole value chain, as well as product circularity. It’s not just about the materials that are being used in production, nor about its manufacturing environment. Ideally, consumers would only buy clothes as needed, and when they did, they would make sure that the fibers are organic, product is toxic-free, sewn in socially responsible factories, shipped in the most efficient way, and take into consideration product afterlife. However, we all know that’s not the way capitalism and conspicuous consumption works in our society. There’s always a hunger for more, and when consumerism is so inextricably tied to how we feel and how we perceive our own personal and professional development, sustainability just seems a tad pointless.

Whilst the focus has been for a longtime on fashion, other industries should also be carefully analyzed. I’ve spent the last decade working in FMCG, and I’ve seen first-hand the wastefulness mass retailers and brands engage in when developing, shipping, and marketing product. Realizing I was another cog in the wheel that facilitated this often-mindless overconsumption of goods, gave me pause to think about what could be changed to limit our impact not just in our environment, but also in our communities.