The Great Greenwash: Why Sustainability Shaming Stems From a Place of Privilege

Just like most of my friends, shopping is a guilty pleasure of mine. Whether from a brick-and-mortar shop or an online store, shoppers like me tend to be spoilt for choice. On online fast-fashion retailers such as SHEIN, you can find clothes for $3, and accessories for less than $1. SHEIN, a China-based online retailer, has also recently announced that it opened a new hub in Singapore to extend its reach into the Southeast Asia region.

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I even bought a cute halter top from SHEIN once and flaunted it to my friends who eagerly asked where I bought it from. However, once I mentioned SHEIN, the look of disdain I got from my friend surprised me. “You have no excuse for buying from SHEIN, you’re not plus-sized or anything, so why don’t you support sustainable fashion?” was all she said before she left in a huff.

To say that I was shocked is an understatement. Of course, I knew the serious impact fast fashion had on the environment. Like everyone else, I tried to do my part. I opted to shop at thrift stores, I bought second-hand clothes whenever I could. So why did I feel so guilty when someone shamed and belittled me for buying from a fast-fashion retailer? To find out that people I knew were victims of sustainability shaming made the matter concerning too.

The more I pondered on sustainability shaming, the more I came to realize that shaming consumers for not buying clothes from ethically-produced sources seemed to stem from a place of privilege. Don’t get me wrong though, if you have the money, you should put it to good use and shop for sustainably made clothing. However, the majority of us do not have the luxury of discretionary income.

According to Channel NewsAsia (CNA), commercial research found that nearly 60 percent of consumers are unwilling to pay more money for products that are more environmentally friendly. I doubt we can blame them either, as these people are more than likely to have hailed from lower-income, middle-class families who are more focused on putting food on the table, and college students (like me) who worry more about paying tuition fees and other expenses.

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We cannot avoid the fact that sustainable fashion is expensive, for a variety of reasons. Some include the fact that sustainable, eco-friendly clothes are of good quality and are made without employing fast-fashion shortcuts that are harmful to the environment as they generate more wastage. The people who produce them are also paid fair wages, and not subjected to forced labor.

That being said, not just anybody can afford sustainable fashion. The Telegraph states that green goods cost nearly 50 percent more than the usual fast fashion products. If you can afford sustainable fashion, and you police people for not investing in the items you buy, you are speaking from a place of privilege.

Yet, we still cannot turn our backs how problematic fast fashion is. Simply put, fast fashion focuses on the design, manufacturing, and production of cheap, disposable trendy clothing that is made out of poor-quality materials. You might ask: Why is this dangerous?

We know how trends work, and how fast they die out. And what do fast fashion retailers do when old trends die out and new ones take their place? Make more clothes to keep up. Fast fashion online retailers such as SHEIN have also amassed controversy due to their unethical labor practices, lack of transparency in their supply chain, and steep environmental cost.

As stated in Pebble Magazine, UK’s leading sustainability magazine, the fast fashion industry produces 80 billion garments a year, a whopping 400 percent more than what was produced 20 years ago. Moreover, these items are not recycled or donated, doing more harm to the environment than good.

Nevertheless, sustainability shaming consumers and policing what they wear is not the way to go. We should avoid blaming the consumers who are unable to afford sustainable fashion and start holding these big fast fashion companies accountable for their harmful actions to the environment instead. An article in The World Bank notes that the fashion industry contributes to 10 percent of annual global emissions, more than maritime shipping and all international flights combined. If they continue down this road, the industry’s greenhouse gas emissions will increase by more than 50 percent by 2030.

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If we could use our voices as consumers and demand change, these fast fashion giants will be nudged in the right direction and be inspired to make better choices for the planet. Instead of policing what consumers wear, we should take our environmental fight to social media. Starting email campaigns and social media hashtags are some examples we could use to pressure companies to answer for their use of unjust practices.

This nudge theory has worked before, in the case of SHEIN. Amid the controversy, they have launched a recent worldwide eco campaign titled #SHEINCares. In a local context, as part of their campaign, they have donated $80,000 to Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) to support animal rights and conservation efforts. SHEIN has also adopted the Pangolin and Cheetah exhibition at the Singapore Zoo to show its support for these endangered species.

In an effort to encourage their customers to take part in their eco campaign and support animal conservation, SHEIN has also launched the Wild Heart Collection featuring artistic wildlife-inspired merch and cruelty-free makeup.

To see companies being nudged in the right direction does give me hope for the future. Still, fast-fashion giants need to do more if they want to soften their repercussions on the environment. It is also important to note that fast fashion companies still lack disclosure about their cheap labor practices.

We need to focus our energy on making sure these companies are on the right path instead of shaming our peers and fellow consumers. Let’s make life a little better for everyone.

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Natalie is a 2nd-year Communication student at the University at Buffalo. In her free time, you can find her curled up with a good book, visiting museums, or watching one of her guilty pleasure shows on Netflix.

You can contact her at natalieteo23@gmail.com.

References:

Bank, W. (2019, September 23). How much do our wardrobes cost to the environment? World Bank. Retrieved September 20, 2021, from https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2019/09/23/costo-moda-medio-ambiente.

Mortimer, G. (2020, October 23). Commentary: Are we willing to pay more for climate-friendly products? CNA. Retrieved September 20, 2021, from https://www.channelnewsasia.com/commentary/consumer-pay-more-expensive-sustainable-climate-products-green-971791.

Telegraph Media Group. (2010, May 30). Green goods cost nearly 50% more. The Telegraph. Retrieved September 20, 2021, from https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/earth/earthnews/7785705/Green-goods-cost-nearly-50-more.html.

Young, P. (2021, June 10). What's wrong with fast fashion? pebble magazine. Retrieved September 20, 2021, from https://pebblemag.com/magazine/living/whats-wrong-with-fast-fashion.