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TRANSCRIPT
“Fortunately, it didn’t take long for me to open my eyes to the enormous impact that our company can have on the environment. And it didn’t take much longer for my interest in the environment to grow into a full-blown passion. Environmental sustainability may well be the most important initiative we undertake at Wal-Mart this decade, maybe even this century. It will have huge impacts on the way things are made, farmed, packaged, transported, displayed and sold worldwide.” –Lee Scott, former Wal-Mart President and CEO
BYDANIELLETESTALONDONCOLLEGEOFFASHIONMAFASHIONANDTHEENVIRONMENTDECEMBER2010
ENVIRONMENTALSUSTAINABILITYINTHEAPPARELMASSMARKET
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ENVIRONMENTALSUSTAINABILITYINTHEAPPARELMASSMARKET
BYDANIELLETESTA
TABLEOFCONTENTSINTRODUCTION.........................................................................PAGE3CHAPTER1:THEBEGINNING(OREND)OFMASSPRODUCTIONSAFFAIRWITHSUSTAINABILITY THETECHNICALIMPACTSOFTHEINDUSTRIALREVOLUTION........................PAGE4 THEEMOTIONALIMPACTSOFTHEINDUSTRIALREVOLUTION.......................PAGE5CHAPTER2:INTRODUCINGAGREENMASSMARKET EARLYGREENWASHINGANDHIPPIECHIC.........................................PAGE7 THENEWMILLENNIUMOFGREEN................................................PAGE8CHAPTER3:CASESTUDY–CANWALMARTPACKAGEGREEN?...........................PAGE10CHAPTER4:ANOPPORTUNITYFORMASSRETAILERSTOINSTIGATECHANGE
PROOFOFFUTUREOPPORTUNITIES:GREENJOBSAREHERETOSTAY..............PAGE14MARKETINGTOTHEMASSES:POWEROVERCONSUMERS..........................PAGE14
CONCLUSION......................................................................... PAGE16REFERENCELIST...................................................................... PAGE17COVERART:(CUNNALLY,2009)
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INTRODUCTION
InHot,Flat,andCrowded,ThomasFreidmansaysthatwhilewespeakofa‘greenrevolution’therehavebeennoprotestorpetitionsshowingatruefightforchange,ratherithasbeenmoreofagreenpartywherethewords‘green’‘eco’and‘environmentallyfriendly’arethrownaroundwithoutanyquantitativeunderstandingofthechangesthatneedstobemade(2009:251).Untilrecently,‘green’seemstohaverevolvedaroundmarketingideaslikethe’10easystepstogoinggreen’(Friedman,2009:249),buttheneededchangerequireslifestylemodificationsfromdeepwithinoursocietalparadigms.Isitpossibletobeginthissustainablerevolutionatacorporatelevel?Oristhismovementdoomedtobeamarketingploy?
Thisreportwillanalyzetherelationshipbetweenmassretailandsustainabilityinordertoprovideinsightintothefutureofsustainabilityasmorethanamarketingtool.ItwillfirstlookatsustainabilityinthebeginningofmassproductionduringtheIndustrialRevolutionandthecontrastthatexistedbetweenthetwo,thenitwillleadintotheemergenceofsustainabilityintothesupplychainwhichhasbeenunseensincebeforetheIndustrialRevolution.Itwillincludeabriefoverviewofcompanies’initiativesinsustainabilityandtheextenttowhichithasbeenintegratedfromthetimethe‘greenrevolution’beganuntilpresent.UtilizingWal‐Mart,thelargestsupplierofclothingintheUnitedStatesandlargestretailerintheworld(Fishman,2006:29),thereportwilldiscusstheslowintegrationofsustainabilitythroughouttheirbusinesspractices.Finally,thereportwilldiscussthepotentialimpactmassretailerscanhaveinpromotingenvironmentalawarenessandsustainableactions.
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CHAPTER1:THEBEGINNING(OREND)OFMASSPRODUCTIONSAFFAIRWITHSUSTAINABILITYTheTechnicalImpactsoftheIndustrialRevolution
Lookingbackintime,fashionhashadvaryingextentsofsustainability.ForcenturiesbeforetheIndustrialRevolutionasinglegarmentwouldmeettheneedofanindividualthroughouthisorherlife,andoftenmeettheneedofseveralbybeingremadeforachild,beforeeventuallybecomingscrapfabric(Cunnally,2009).Withthedevelopmentsofthespinningjenny,spinningmull,andothertextileinnovationsduringtheIndustrialRevolutionindividualswerenolongerexpectedtomakeandmendtheirgarments;itwaseasiertobuynewproducts(HowellandCostilow,2010:48).By1950homesewingdwindledandpeoplewerereliantonmassproducedgarments(Black,2008:8).Thiswasthebeginningoffastfashion;itwaseasiertobuyanewdressthantomendtheoneyouowned.Inthisway,itcouldbesaidthatun‐sustainabilityhasbeenaninherentaspectofmassproductionandthegrowthofglobalretailthroughitspushtosellmorequicklyandpromoterapidfashionchange.
TextilemanufacturingwasakeydriveroftheIndustrialRevolution(Rivoli,2009:92)andwasseenaspureeconomicgrowth,buttheeffectsithadontheenvironmentwerestillunknown(Evans,1997:5).Theearlytextileindustryreleasedgrowingamountsofpollutionintotheairthroughtheuseofcoal,oilandnaturalgasaswellasadditionalchemicalsbyburningofproductsandscraps.Peopledidnotunderstandthatthesameparticlesthatcausedfactoryfireswouldalsodamagetheenvironmentandworkers’health.Image1showslifeinatextilefactoryandafactoryfirelikelycausedbylintpieces.DuringtheIndustrialRevolutiontherewasagreat
Image1:Spinningmule,womenworkinginatextilefactoryandafactoryfire–acommonalityduringtheindustrialrevolution(Cunnally2009).
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dependenceonwaterinmassproduction(Evans,1997:6).Itwasusedforpowerthroughwaterwheelsandalsoinwashinganddying.Afterprocessingthechemicalswerereleasedintothewaterwayswheretheywouldflowdownstreamandmixinwithdrinkingwaterandirrigationwaterways(OlsonandRejeski,2004:1).
Allunethicalandun‐environmentalaspectsofthemass‐producedtextilesandappareleitheroriginatedorweremagnifiedthroughtheIndustrialRevolution.Fromsweatshopandchildlabortoair,water,andlandpollutiontheincreaseddemandforproductscreatedincreaseddamagetotheenvironment(OlsonandRejeski,2004:2).Regulationshavebeenpassedtocreatecleanerprocessesandreducepollution,butthishasbeenaslowprocessasmanytoxicchemicalshavebeenusedintextileandapparelproductionthroughouthistory(OlsonandRejeski,2004:3).Theindustryhasremainedonebasedonexcess–theantithesisofsustainability.TheEmotionalImpactsoftheIndustrialRevolution
SomepeoplesaytheIndustrialRevolutionchangedsociety,butothersbelievethatitwasthedesireforsocietalchangethatdrovetheIndustrialRevolution.Whicheverwayitoccurred,duringthe18thcenturytherewasagreatshiftinlifestylesofwesterncivilizationsinwhichthetextileindustryplayedakeyrole(Cunnally,2009).Thedevelopmentoftextilemanufacturersandlengtheninginthesupplychaincreatedadistancebetweentheconsumerandthegarment(Ehrenfeld,2009:31).
ThedistancebetweenconsumersandthegarmentwasmagnifiedbythegrowthofcapitalismduringtheIndustrialRevolution.AdamSmith,ThomasMalthus,andDavidRicardopublishedvariouswritingsspurringculturalacceptanceofcapitalisminthewesternworld(Cunnally,2009).InTheWealthofNationsbyAdamSmith,headdressedtheeconomicsofcapitalismexplainedthroughtheinvisiblehandthatwouldguidesystemstoworkoutcomplexitiesontheirown.Smithexpressedhisbeliefthatinafreemarket,itcannotbeexpectedthateveryonewillbepaidequallyorwell.Meanwhile,Malthusdiscussedthelawsofnatureandbroughtforththeconceptthatpopulationwillalwaysgrowfasterthanthefoodsupplyandthereforeitcannotbeavoidedthatpeoplewillstarveanddie;war,famine,anddiseasearenaturalpartsoflife(Cunnally,2009).AtthistimeDavidRicardodiscussedtheironlawofwages,whichstatesthatwageswillreflectthecostsofproduction(Cunnally,2009).Thesewritingsandotherscreatedanunderstandingandacceptanceofcapitalismandallowedconsumerstofurtherdistancethemselvesfromtheirresponsibilitiesinregardstolaborandresourcesthatwentintothegarments(Ehrenfeld,2009:23). InSustainabilitybyDesign,professorandindustrialecologistJohnEhrenfeld(2009:31)discussedtheeffectsthathumans’distancingfromtheenvironmenthashadonouractionstowardsothersandtheenvironment.TechnologiessuchasthosedevelopedintheIndustrialRevolutionandmoremoderntechnologiesliketheInternet,mobilephones,andremotetrackingdeviceshaveallowedustolosesightofourdeeperneeds.BeforetheIndustrialRevolutionmakingandmendinggarmentswasaheartfelttaskthatconnectedapersontotheirbelongings,butafterlivinginaworldofmassproductionitisnotguaranteedthatthesignificanceofasingleitemcanreturnthroughhandconstruction.Economicandtechnologicaldevelopmentchangelifeinawaythatcannotsimplybeundone.Inordertoreverseourunsustainableimpactswemustcreatenewmodesofsustainability(Ehrenfeld,2009:31).
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Image 2: Chevron: People Do Many companies outside of fashion have historically been subject to great criticism. Since 1985 Chevron has been running their ‘People Do’ Campaign, which has been called a highly successful greenwashing campaign. In this advertisement they promote the ponds for wildlife that exist within their oil refineries (Romero, 2008). Image: (EnviroWatch, 1996)
Image 3: Katharine Hamnett In 1985 designer Katharine Hamnett received much attention for her political and social activism. Her clothing line is made out of organic cotton and has a strong environmental focus (Katharine Hamnett, n.d., Biography). Images: (West, 2008)
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CHAPTER2:INTRODUCINGAGREENMASSMARKETEarlyGreenwashingandHippieChic
Asfarbackashistoryhasallowedustosee,streetfashionhasbeeninfluencedbythe‘trickledown’offashionfromthewealthy(HowellandCostilow,2010:158).Inthe1980sand1990s,majorcorporationsbegan‘coolhunting’togetfashionandtrendideasfromthestreetsthatwouldthentrickleuptothemasses.Thiscameatatimeofanexplosionofspendingonmarketingandadvertisingastheirbenefitswerebeingrealized.Thisupsurgeallowedbrandnamestoinfiltrateeveryaspectofconsumers’lives(Klein,2000:72‐73).Withtheproliferationoffashioninfluencesandgrowingavailabilityofmarketingresources,fastfashionspiraledinmassretail,emphasizingtheassociationoffashionwithdisposability.
Atthesametimeasconsumerswerebrandingeverypartoftheirlifeandtransitioningtheconceptoffastfashiontoanythingfromtheirlunchestosocialevents,asustainabilitymovementwasstrugglingtoblossom(Klein,2000:29).
Whileapparelcompaniesconcernedabouttheenvironmentexistedbeforethe1990s,theywereoftenconcentratedinnichemarketsegments,suchastheenvironmentaloutdoorswearcompanyPatagonia.Patagoniasellstopeoplethatinteractwiththeearthintheirdailylives.Thecompanywasstartedin1970;adecadebeforegreenadvertisingexplodedandcorporatedeceptionofenvironmentalactionwasapopularissue(Patagonia,n.d.).In1972advertisingexecutiveJerryManderwrotethearticle,“Ecopornography:OneYearandNearlyaBillionDollarsLater,AdvertisingOwnsEcology,"aboutthedeceptiveuseofenvironmentalbenefitsinadvertising.Thegrowingawarenessofenvironmentalconcernsandactionswereconcentratedamongcompanieswitharelativelydirectimpactontheenvironmentsuchasoilcompaniesandcarcompanies.Itisgenerallythoughtthatthesecampaignswerenotgenuinesincetheadvertisingbudgetwashigherthanthatforwasteandpollutionreduction.Nonetheless,companiesutilizingsuchmethodssawincreasedconsumertrust(TheGreenLife,n.d.). Itwasn’tuntilthe1980sand1990sthatfashiongotinvolvedinthecruxofthesustainabilitydebate.KatharineHamnettisawell‐knownUKdesignerwhocreatedalinewithaheavyfocusonpolitical,social,andenvironmentalissuesin1979(KatharineHamnett,n.d.).Themajorityofenvironmentallyfocusedapparelcompaniesstartedenteringthesceneinthe90swiththelikesofPeopleTree,IndigenousDesigns,andJunkyStyling.Nichedesignerinvolvementinsustainabilityexistedinthe‘90s,butasisthecasewithmostfashion,itcouldreducetheideatoaseason’strend.WhatcreatedtheopportunityforalastingmovementwastheinvolvementoflargeretailerssuchasEsprit,Nike,andLeviStrauss.Nikeintroducedtheideafor‘ReuseAShoe’in1991andlaidthefirstbasketballcourtmadeoutofrecycledshoesin1993(Nike,2008).In1991LeviStrausswasthefirstUScompanytocreateandenforceaCodeofConductfortheir
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suppliers(Karpova,2009),integratingethicalandenvironmentalcare.In1992EspritmadeheadlinebylaunchingEcollection(Black,22)(Image3).
Adifferenceexistsbetweentheintegrationofsustainabilityinthe‘90sandthatoftoday.Whilemanysmallercompaniesinvolvedsustainabilityinthecoreoftheirbusinesses,thelargercompanieshadasegmentedconnectionthatcouldbecutoffatanytime.Withturbulenttimesandassociationsto‘hippiechic’hinderinggrowth,companieslikeEspritgotridoftheirecolinesorblendedtheminwithothers.TheNewMillenniumofGreen
Asweenteredthesecondmillenniumgrowingconcernssurroundingglobal
warmingandpollutioncreatedconsumerdemandforaccountabilityfromretailers.Inthebeginningpeopleweredebatingwhetherornotglobalwarmingwasrealandif,infact,thearcticiceshelfreallycouldmelt.Sowhile‘eco’wasahottopic,itwasstillacatchphraseanddubioustopic.Theawarenessofchangeinourenvironmentledtotheexplosionof‘eco’clothingcompanieswiththeintroductionofEdun,Enamore,BeyondSkin,Dosa,andMoralFervorallwithinthefirstseveralyearsofthe2000s.By2005theideaofenvironmentalismandsustainabilitywascatchingoninmassretail.Whensuchlargeglobalissuesariseitisimportantforcompaniestoproactivelyaddresstheirpartintheproblem,somanyretailersbegandoinglittlethingsinordertosavetheplanet,butlookingback,mostmassretailershavetheissueofgettingsidetrackedbycostcuttingandmarketingtechniques. Astimeprogressedandindividualshaverealizedthatglobalwarmingisnotadebateandthatgreenhousegases,pollution,andclimatechangeareallrealissues,companiesstartingseeingcriticismforgreenwashing(Romero,2008).Image2showsoneofthefirstcampaignscriticizedforsuccessfulgreenwashing.Manycompanieswerechangingpackagingandlabelstoadvertisehow‘good’theirproductswere,buttheywoulddosowithoutchangingtheproductitselforhowitwasmade.Changinglabelsandpackagingandcreatingadvertisementsallgeneratewaste,sowithoutcuttingwasteoremissionsinotherareasthiscanbecounterproductive(TheGreenLife,n.d.).Whetheritwasduetofearofcustomerrepercussionsortothegoodintentionsofpeoplewithinthecompaniesthough,thereseemedtoemergeashifttowardsdeep‐rootedsustainableactions.ThecasestudyofWal‐Martthatfollowsisarepresentationofchangethatmanymassretailershavebeguninthelasttenyears.Wal‐Martwaschosenasanexamplebecausetheyaretheworld’slargestretailerandhavethepowertopersuadeconsumers,suppliers,legislators,andcompetitors.
Image4:Esprit1992Ecollection(West,2008)
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VISUALIZATIONOFTHEPROGRESSIVEAWARENESSOF‘GREEN’INRETAIL.
Images:Patagonia(Patagonia,n.d.),KatharineHamnett(KatharineHamnett,n.d.),Greenwashing,(GreenEcoCommunities,2009),LeviStrauss(MonsterVintage.com,2010)Nike(Nike,2008),SecretandWalmart(drugstore.com,2010),Esprit(Esprit,2010),MarksandSpencer(FreeFoto.com,n.d.),Walmartlogo(Walmart,n.d.),H&Mtag(Grady,2010).
H&Mlaunchesenvironmental
initiatives
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CHAPTER3:CASESTUDYCANWAL‐MARTPACKAGE‘GREEN’?
Wal‐Marthasalonghistoryofreducingpackagingandcuttingenergyuseinordertocutcosts.SamWaltonopenedhisfirstWal‐Martstorein1962withagoaltosellproductsthatpeopleneededeverydayatalowerpricethananyoneelseandkeepitatthatpriceallthetime(Fishman,2006:8).InthiswayonecouldsaythatSamWaltonhasmasteredtheracetothebottom(Rivoli,2009:92).AccordingtoCharlesFishmaninTheWalMartEffect(2006:3),“Wal‐Martchangestheworld…everyday,andhasbeenforfortyyears.Awastefulroutine,oftenlongentrenched,isdetectedandeliminated,establishinganewstandardofefficiency,loweringcostsforeveryone,especiallyordinarycustomers.”Whenthisstatementisfirstreaditsoundsliketheepitomeofcreatingasustainablesystem,butitleadstotheever‐presentquestionof,atwhoseexpenseisthishappening?AphraseknownastheWal‐Marteconomydescribestheharassingsensethattheremightbesomehiddenbuthorrifyingcosttobepaidfor‘alwayslowprices’(Fishman,2006:9).
WhileWal‐Marthasbeenaroundsincethe1960sitwasnotuntilthe1990sthatitbecamelargerthanotherAmericanretailerssuchasKmartandSearsandobtaineditsstatusasagloballeader(Fishman,2006:29).Sincethe1990sWal‐MarthasfacednumerouslawsuitsregardingfairlaborpracticesandhasbeencitedinmajorpublicationssuchasTimefortheirpoorandunlawfultreatment(Gregory,2010).SuchissueshaveoftenbeencurtailedbecauseretailersmaynotknowhowsuppliersmaketheirproductsandWal‐Mart’sretailwagesarewellabovetheminimumwage(Fishman,2006:13).Beyondthis,ifWal‐Martweretodrasticallyraisethepayoftheirretailemployeesitwouldnotbeabletomaintainits‘alwayslowprices.’ItisevidentthatthehistoryofWal‐Marthasnothadastrongfocusonensuringfairworkingconditionsforitsemployees,butwhataboutitsenvironmentalimpacts?
Asanindustryleaderineliminatingunnecessarycosts,Wal‐Marthasbeenaprincipalcompanyinreducingwasteandenergyconsumptionthroughoutthesupplychaininordertocutcosts.Intheearly1990s,alongwithotherretailers,Wal‐Martpushedfortheeliminationofthecardboardpackagingofroll‐ondeodorant.TherationalebehindthiscanbeappliedtomanyoftherequestsWal‐Marthasmadetoavarietyofglobalsuppliers.ItisexplainedinTheWalMartEffect(2006:1)asfollows:
“Itaddednothingtothecustomer’sdeodorantexperience.Theproductalreadycameinacanoraplasticcontainerthatwasatleastastoughasthebox,ifnottougher.Theboxtookupshelfspace.Itwastedcardboard.Shippingtheweightofthecardboardwastedfuel.Theboxitselfcostmoneytodesign,toproduce–itevencostmoneytoputthedeodorantinsidethebox,justsothecustomercouldtakeitout.”
Whilethecostsavingsofthiswasminusculeperbox,Waltonconstantlypushedforthemostbasiclevelofaproductthatstillprovidedthenecessaryservicetothecustomer.Inthiscaseitendedupsavingmillionsoftreesandreducingacresofwastedmaterials
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(Fishman,2006:2).Wal‐Martsinfluenceovercompaniesissuchthatifacompanydoesn’tbendtoWal‐Mart,chancesaretheywillgooutofbusiness(Fishman,2006:3).EvenProcterandGamble,theworld’slargestconsumergoodscompany,hasaworkingpartnershipwithWal‐Martandworkswiththemconsistentlytocutcosts,improveefficiency,andreducedwaste(TheEconomist,2007).In2008,alongwithWal‐Martsannouncementthattheywouldonlysellconcentratedlaundrydetergents,ProcterandGamblere‐launchedtheirlaundrydetergentsinmorecompacthigh‐concentrationbottles.Thischangeallowedbothretaileranddistributortohavesmallerpackagesusingfewerrawmaterialsandlessshelfspacewhileofferingthesamevaluetocustomersandreducingproductionandtransportationcosts(Neff,2007).AccordingtoaWal‐Martpressrelease(2007),“Thecommitmentwillsavemorethan400milliongallonsofwater,morethan95millionpoundsofplasticresinandmorethan125millionpoundsofcardboard.Forwateralone,thisistheequivalentof100millionindividualshowers.Sinceapproximately25percentoftheliquidlaundrydetergentsoldintheUnitedStatesissoldthroughWal‐Martstores,thepotentialsavingsinnaturalresourcesthroughtheentireretailindustrycouldbefourtimesasmuch.”
OfcoursewecanseetheenvironmentaladvantageofWal‐Martspushforlowercostsandlesspackaging,buttheyconsistentlyseemtobeabi‐productofadriveforincreasedsalesandlowercosts,whichoftenleadsbacktopoorlaborpractices;butbetween2005and2010Wal‐Martlaunchedinitiativesmoredirectlybasedonsustainablepractices.
Wal‐MartbeganasubtlecampaignofenvironmentalawarenessbypartneringwithWorldwiseInc.inApril2000tocelebrateEarthDay(Walmart,n.d.,Pressreleases).Thispartnershipcreatedincreasedopportunityforthealreadyleadingbrand,Worldwise,andalsodrewattentiontoEarthDay,butthelaunchofthiscelebrationwasasmuchaPRopportunityforWal‐Marttotakeadvantageofanewsupplierasitwasaseriousstridetowardssustainableprocesses.SincethefirstEarthDayin1970companieshaveoftenutilizedmorematerialsandenergytopromoteitthantheproductstheywerepromotingwouldsave(Romero,2008).Leadingintothefirstdecadeofthe2000sWal‐Martmadesurfacechangesforenvironmentalsustainability,butdidnotmakechangestotheircorebusiness(Walmart,n.d.,Pressreleases).
In2005Wal‐MartcontinuedlaunchingcampaignstoprotectAmerica’swilderness,butrealenvironmentalismseepedinduringMay2005.Wal‐Martbeganenvironmentalandenergyefficientprogramssuchasbagrecyclingprogramsandhydrogenfuelcelltrialsfortheirtruckfleets.Thecompanyalsounveiledtwogreensupercentersthathousedenvironmentalexperimentsoperatingalternativeformsofenergyandconservingresources.Thiswasthebeginningofimplementingsustainablestrategiestothecoreofthebusiness.Mostsignificantlyin2005,Wal‐Martpublished
ThisbagwasgivenoutbyWal‐MartforEarthDayin2008.
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theirplantoreducewasteby25percent,increasethefuelefficiencyofitstruckingfleetsby25percentoverthreeyears,andinvest$500millionannuallyintechnologyforgreenhousegasreduction(Walmart,2005).
Meanwhile,asthelargestapparelvendorintheUnitedStates,Wal‐Marthadbeguntointegrateorganiccottonintotheirclothinglines.ItbeganwithanorganicyogaoutfitthatwassowellreceivedbythepublicthatCEOLeeScottbeganintegratingorganiccottonintootherclothinglines.In2001theworldproductionoforganiccottontotaled6.4millionmetrictons;in2006Wal‐Martusedbetween8and10millionmetrictonsaloneandbecametheworld’slargestorganiccottonpurchaser(Walmart,2006).
InJuly2009,Wal‐MartannouncedthelaunchoftheirSustainableProductIndex(2009c),whichwillworkwithsuppliers,retailers,non‐governmentalorganizations,governmentandacademicinstitutionstodevelopaglobaldatabaseofinformationonproductlifecyclesfromrawmaterialstodisposal.ThisindexwasdevelopedwiththeguidanceofPatagoniaandisfocusedonWal‐Mart’sglobalsupplychain(O’Reilly,2010).
Itisanunlikelypartnershipbetweenanenvironmentalpioneerandtheworld’slargestretailer,butwhatisevenmoreshockingisPatagoniaofferingsuchguidancefreeofcharge,justsimplywiththehopethat‘wecandogoodforourplanet’(Chouinard,2009).Having
suchapartnershipallowsWal‐MarttomovebeyondthePRgamesurroundingsustainabilityintotherealmwhererealchangescanoccur.Patagoniahassharedinsightsintotheirowngreenmetrics,theirsourcingprotocols,andideasofthespecificthingsWal‐Martshoulddodifferentlygiventheirsizeandpower.Forexample,oneofPatagonia’swell‐knownimpactshasbeentouseonlyorganiccotton.WhileitmakessensethattheywouldlikeWal‐Marttocontinueputtingastrongbackinginorganiccotton,YvonChouinard,theCEOandFounderofPatagonia,suggestedtheyinvestinalternativesyntheticfabrics.Thedemandbysuchaglobalforcecreatesareasonforfarmerstoswitchtoorganicproductionandprovidesanopportunitytobuyforamuchwidervarietyofconsumersthanhadpreviouslybeentargetedwithsustainableapparel.However,thereisnotenoughlandintheworldtomeetmassretailsdemandfororganicfibers,butwithYvonChouinard’ssuggestiontoWal‐Mart,massretailerscaninstigatenewdevelopment(Chouinard,2009).InnovativefabricsareaneededtechnologyofthefutureandWal‐Marthasthemoneyandinfluencetoinvestinitsdevelopment.
HistoricallyWal‐Marthasmadesustainabledecisionsinordertocutcostsandtakeadvantageofmarketingopportunities.Throughcollaborationwithothercompaniesthathavesustainabilityasadrivingforce,Wal‐Marthastheopportunityto
(TheAssociatedPress,2010)
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combinetheirambitionforcuttingcostswithsustainableinitiativesofcuttingwaste,increasingefficiency,andmakingbetterproductstocreateanewtypeofindustry.AsauthorJosephO’Reillysaidinatrendsarticleforinboundlogistics.com(2010),“Patagoniacanmatchgreendemand;Walmartmanufacturesit.”Inretailitisalwayssaidthattheconsumermakesthedecisionintheend,andinthemediacrazeofsustainabilityitappearsthatretailerslikeWal‐Mart,MarksandSpencerintheUK,andTargetintheUSA,areallactingtothedemandsofmediaandconsumersbeforelegislationorresourcedepletionforcesthem.
ThisisatimelineofsupplychainintegrationatWal‐Martbasedonthereadingscitedthroughouttheabovetext.
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CHAPTER4:ANOPPORTUNITYFORMASSRETAILERSTOINSTIGATECHANGE
Theattentionpaidtothe‘greenmovement’bymassretailersmayfinallyleadconsumersandbusinessestorealizethatthisisnotjustafad,butachangetobemadethatisheretostay.Asmassretailerscontinuetointegrateprocessesthatrequirestandardstobefollowedbysuppliersandencouragebetterproductionmethods,itcreatesanopportunityforcorporationstoleadthewayforgovernmentallegislationandchangeintheconsumermindset.PROOFOFFUTUREOPPORTUNITIES:GREENJOBSAREHERETOSTAY
Duringtherecentglobalrecessiontherehasbeenworryoverwhatwouldhappentothegreeningofmassretail.Whilesome‘green’professionalswereintrinsicinthecompanies’abilitiestocutcostthroughwastereductionandenvironmentalmeasures,othercompanieswerestillutilizing‘green’mainlyasacompetitivemarketingadvantage(Makower,2010).Surprisingly,greenprofessionalsweren’tthefirsttobecut;whiletheydidfacebudgetcutsandhiringfreezes,overallgreenjobshavesurvivedthroughtherecession(Makower,2010).Realizingthatenvironmentalsustainabilityisnotatrendbutachangethatcanstick,itisimportantthatmassretailerstaketherightactionsinimplementationgoingforward.MARKETINGTOTHEMASSES:POWEROVERCONSUMERS
Marketingsustainableactionisanecessaryprocessofeducationsincemostconsumerscurrentlyhaveaminimalunderstandingoftheconsequencesoftheiractionsandarenotaffectedbynicheenvironmentallabels.Withtheextensivesupplychainsandavailabilityoftechnologyitisoftendifficultforindividualstounderstandproductlifecyclesandwhatorwhomtheyareimpacting.Individualsmayhavesomeunderstandingofsweatshoplaborduetopopularpress,butwhataboutthecottonfarmersinthirdworldcountriesbecomingillduetoexposuretopesticidesandthefactoryworkerswhoingestdustintotheirlungs?Areconsumersexpectedtoknowaboutthem?Theonlywaytocreateconsumer‐drivendemandformoreenvironmentalcompaniesisthrougheducation.Aprimeopportunityliesinmarketing.Inthepastmarketinghasbeenuseddishonestly,butbecausethereissuchwideawarenessofgreenwashingandalreadygrowingenvironmentalconsciousnessamongcoreconsumergroups,thesemethodsofsellingwillnotbeabletosurvivegoingforward. Twolargeconcernsofthepasttobeawareofgoingforwardwillbetransparencyandmisrepresentationthroughadvertising.Eventhoughconsumersareawareofgreenwashinginthepast,itisdifficulttodeterminewhoisproperlycreatingawarenessfortheiractionsandwhoisusing‘green’onlyasacatchphrasetoboostsales.
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MassretailerssuchasWal‐Mart,Target,MarksandSpencer,andH&Mhavethepowertoeducatethemasspopulationquickerthannicheretailerscan.Inthelast5yearsmanymassretailersandsuppliersandotherlargeinfluentialcompanieshavesetspecificgoalstogreentheirbusinesses.Theseactionswillundeniablytrickledowntootherretailersandhaveaneducationaleffectonconsumers,creatingdesireformoreenvironmentalproducts.
Makingsustainablechangetomassretailcaninfluenceotherinstitutionsandleadtoamoresustainablelifestylewherepeopleareawareoftheirimpacts.IfmassretailerslikeWal‐Martcontinuetobuyorganicandnaturalfibersandbegininvestinginenvironmentalsynthetics,theycancreatedemandfromsuppliersthatwillcreateeconomiesofscaleandthereforemakesustainablefibersaffordable.
Businesshasbecomethemostpowerfulglobalinstitution,morethanreligionorgovernmentwiththepowertoinfluenceglobalconsumers(Ehrenfeld,2009:197).Whilethisisanoptimisticoutlook,influencewillhaveitslimits;blackmarketsanddealsunder‐the‐tablewillalwaysexist.Nonetheless,passingguidelinesfortransparencyandcleanpackagingcanforcealotoftheworld’slargestsupplierstogoalittlegreen.
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CONCLUSION
TheformerheadofGreenpeace,PaulGilding,stated(inFriedman,2009:27),“Thechallengeofsustainability,particularlyclimatechange,hascharacteristicsthatmakeournormalresistancetochangebothdeeperandlongerlasting.Itisanenormoussystem‐widechallengethataffectseverypersonandeverycountry.Itrequiressweepingchangeineveryaspectofourlivesandoursociety.Italsoquestionsmanyfundamentalbeliefsaboutgrowthandthemarketeconomyandthreatenssomeverypowerfulinterest.”Thereisopportunityformassretailerstoimplementguidelinesforsuppliers,transporters,andconsumersthatcouldinstigategovernmentregulationandactiontostartsociety‐widechangebeforeacrisismakesitnecessary.
Throughoutthehistoryofmassretailithashadanegativerelationshipwiththeenvironment,theveryconceptofmassproductionhadunsustainableprocessesingrainedwithinit.Whileitisnotpossibletoreturntoapre‐IndustrialRevolutionlifestylewithlimitedresourceavailability,itispossibletoutilizethetechnologyandsciencesnowavailabletoadvancemassretailintoaenvironmentallyconsciousindustry.TheactionstakenbyWal‐Martinthelastfiveyearswouldhaveseemedabsurdtenyearsago,butthechangingeconomicandnaturalenvironmentshavepromptedasenseofpurposeintocompaniesofallsizes.Soisitpossibletobeginagreenrevolutionatthecorporatelevelorisitjustamarketingploy?Giventherecentactivitiesofmassretailersacrosstheworld,Ibelievethatchangeispossible.Goingforwarditisthepossibilityofretailerstocreateanewbusinessmodelintegratingfashion,affordability,responsibility,andsustainability.
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REFERENCELISTAdrover,M.(2009)‘Doesgreenwashingexistinthefashionindustry?’Ecouterre
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