The environmental impact of the fashion industry is undeniable. The rise of fast fashion—or the mass production of cheap materials—has led to a glut of poor-quality items that adds to the growing global waste crisis.
What’s even worse is that Greenpeace reports that the fast fashion’s supply chain waste problem hurts countries like Cambodia, Kenya, and Tanzania, with consumer fashion waste ending up in their dump sites or incinerators.
The mark of fast fashion is the disposability of materials and accessories, which is also antithetical to the tenets of sustainability. Sustainability presumes that earthly resources are finite, and emphasizes that future generations should also be able to meet their needs.
Sustainable practices support human and economic health while preserving the environment. Applying this to the travel industry, sustainable fashion can simply mean ensuring our travel accessories and luggage last for a long time. To this end, quality plays a huge role. As such, this article will explore quality and sustainability and why they go hand-in-hand:
Quality is not just a matter of how something is made; it’s also about how long it lasts.
The role of quality in sustainability
Quality is not just a matter of how something is made; it’s also about how long it lasts. This is especially important for travel, where the high rate of consumption means that bags and luggage often get discarded just after a few trips.
The life cycle of a bag depends on three factors: the quality of the material and construction, the frequency of use, and the manner of maintenance. Of the three, quality is the best determinant of how long the item will last.
This difference in quality can be due to a variety of factors, such as the nature and type of raw materials or the dye technique. Another vital component of luggage longevity is construction.
Some materials are of higher quality because they are more durable and resistant to wear and tear. This difference in quality can be due to a variety of factors, such as the nature and type of raw materials or the dye technique. Another vital component of luggage longevity is construction.
Carefully constructed materials will hold up better over time because they have been put together using robust stitching techniques that can stand up against wear and tear. On the other hand, poorly stitched seams and thinner threads make soft luggage break apart fairly quickly. Travel and luggage products that are made to last are often more expensive than their disposable counterparts.
In fact, the only way to create a truly sustainable travel and luggage industry is for producers to take responsibility for their impact on the environment and society at large.
How brands can help
The burden of sustainability in travel products is higher on the producer than the consumer. In fact, the only way to create a truly sustainable travel and luggage industry is for producers to take responsibility for their impact on the environment and society at large.
With eight out of ten Americans placing importance on sustainability in their retail habits, there is pressure on companies to rethink their operational decisions. The article “How To Shop Green” published on Scribd by Newsweek reveals that sustainability is more than just a buzzword for consumers—it is a decision point that shapes retail habits.
It is a principle that pushes consumers to review credentials, focus on materials, create curated shopping lists, and examine the social responsibility activities of the companies they do business with. Thus, when you’re at the helm of an entire supply chain as a travel accessory or fashion brand, you have more power—and more responsibility—to ensure your company uses high-quality materials and sustainable manufacturing processes.
Quality is just another aspect of sustainability in fashion, along with ethical sourcing, humane working conditions, and fair wages. By moving away from fast fashion, we can create a system where brands and consumers can fully commit to sustainability.
Are you looking for a sustainable manufacturer for your brand? Contact us today.
Exclusively written for pactics.com by Jessica Cooper
