Eco-friendly fashion? It's all about supply chains

Nithya Natarajan

03 April 2013

As an avid Fairtrade supporter, I'm a great believer in well-labelled products on supermarket shelves that explain their origins. Fairtrade and other schemes such as Rainforest Alliance guarantee that the processes and materials behind a product are all earth and human-friendly. Quite simply, they promote the idea of companies being transparent about their supply chains.

These labels are normal on food and drink. But I was surprised to learn recently that I can discover the life history of the cow that my leather handbag is made from. And from an unlikely source: Gucci. 

he Italian designer has launched a line of handbags made from cows living in specific deforestation-free zones. That means areas where no forests have been cut down to allow more cattle to graze. As evidence of this eco-credential, each handbag comes with a passport, detailing the life history of the cow it's made from.  

It's an odd but welcome move towards more supply chain transparency and environmentally-friendly products. It would be great to see Gucci extending this principle to a whole range or, better still, all Gucci goods. 

With the cheapest of the designer eco handbags coming in at £1,550, they're definitely out of my price range. But products that are better for the environment don't necessarily cost more.

Take Puma's new InCycle line of biodegradable and recyclable sportswear. It's not only made of greener materials but uses less energy and natural resources during production. For example, it takes 21% less water to make InCycle shoes than suede shoes because leather tanning uses more water than yarn production. 

Puma also runs a 'Bring Me Back' programme so you can take your old trainers into stores to be recycled.

It's clear that companies can come up with innovative products that have less impact on people and the planet.

Friends of the Earth's Make it Better campaign would like to see more companies rethinking designs and processes. Being more transparent about what it takes to produce a handbag or pair of trainers is a good place to start.

Nithya Natarajan, Communications & Media intern