What is Promotional Apparel?
From students’ leaver’s hoodies, to our Starbucks baristas, promotional apparel is absolutely everywhere. It is often one of the most highly-required forms of promotional merchandise, particularly regarding uniforms. It comes as no surprise that clothing and promotional garments are a favourite amongst consumers[1] and are some of the products with the highest brand recall rate among users[2]. Particularly outerwear (such as embroidered hoodies and printed coats), despite being one of the less-owned products, garner the highest amount of impressions[3]. In London alone, a promotional or branded jacket can garner around 5,125 impressions, with tote bags not being too far behind, with 4,066 impressions on average[4].
Apparel holds a unique, but key position in the promotional merchandise industry. Clothing made up an incredible £34 million of the promotional merchandise market value in 2019 and other textile materials, such as bags, had a market value of £173 million in the same year[5]. Although promotional tech products and pens are the long-running successes amongst both businesses and consumers, clothing and apparel remain some of the most popular products amongst consumers, with t-shirts being the favourite[6].
What is sustainable apparel?
As discussed in our debut blog on sustainable promotional products (‘Purpose, Product and Planet’), there is a lack of clear qualifications on what deems a product to be ‘sustainable’. The definition of sustainability is widely accepted as the practice of maintaining balance in an ecological system, specifically to not use more than can be reasonably renewed[7]. In terms of sustainable clothing, it is often characterised as garment production and design that is environmentally conscious[8]. Though there are many ways in which garments can be produced in an environmentally-conscious manner, there are a handful of major environmental issues within the apparel manufacturing industry that can be addressed, allowing brands to certify some clothing as ‘eco-friendly’ or ‘sustainable’. The environmental damage caused by the clothing industry encompasses both production methods and post-purchase behaviours of the customer[9]. However, these behaviours vary slightly among the end consumers of promotional clothing, as this type of apparel is treated differently to general fashion garments.
Briefly, some of the most concerning aspects of clothing production can be:
- Water usage (including in raw material production).
- Colouration and dye processes.
- Unethical treatment of labourers and garment manufacturers (a whole separate topic and issue within itself but falls under the detriments of the fashion industry).
- Over-production and over-consumption.
- Post-purchase use (such as washing and drying) and product disposal.
Fortunately, some of these main issues are being addressed. Firstly, water usage in cotton and cotton production has been a concerning issue for many years. One of the most-used resources for fabric is cotton, which is an extremely thirsty plant, requiring up to 2,700 litres of water and the use of a third of a pound of pesticides to grow enough to make one cotton t-shirt[10]. Luckily, organic and FairTrade cotton is becoming more and more prevalent in, not only clothing and fashion manufacturers but also amongst producers of promotional apparel.
Another concern with water usage is how it is involved in the dying processes of garments. Waterways in countries such as Indonesia have become so polluted with toxic chemicals from dyeing processes that natural habitats have died out, crops have been irrigated and local communities have suffered from health problems, including neurological and birth issues due to the high levels of mercury, lead and arsenic from dyes found in the water[11]. However, organic dyes, water recycling and alternatives to mordants (the bonds used to thoroughly bind dyes to fabrics) are being popularised, not only in large factories abroad, but on our own shores in the UK.
These are just a few examples of how clothing can be made in alternate ways to be considered ‘eco’ or ‘environmentally-friendly’.
Can promotional clothing be sustainable?
There are those who argue that, in it’s essence, any form of promotional material is wasteful and, therefore, cannot be sustainable by definition. However, we disagree. The best forms of promotional products are those that can be reused. Promotional clothing, especially outerwear, are some of the longest-kept items of promotional merchandise[12].
This addresses one of the biggest sustainability issues facing clothing and apparel: post-consumer disposal. The UK experienced a surge of textile waste growth between 2003 and 2008, the waste growing by 330%[13], and it’s estimated that the average fashion garment is worn around 7 times before being discarded[14]. However, this seems to exclusively apply to non-promotional garments, such as fast-fashion clothing ranges. According to research, 60% of consumers keep promotional products for two years, and 63% pass along the product to a friend or family member when they no longer want it[15], avoiding it being sent to landfill.
This month of September, we celebrated #SustainableSeptember, as well as Oxfam’s #SecondHandSeptember, both of which encourage and call for a focus on sustainable consumption, particularly with fashion and clothing. During the month we explored the purpose and intents behind brands and their promotional material, as well as the milestones being made in technology to improve the effects of promotional merchandise manufacturing on the environment.
In our first eco-series blog, ‘Purpose, Product and Planet’, we discussed the rise of organisations and communities demanding change in the production of clothing, particularly within fast fashion. Fashion Revolution have inspired and encouraged the demand for sustainable, purpose-led companies to embrace eco-friendly and ethical practices in production. Across the UK, and around the world, more and more factories are making the necessary efforts to accommodate sustainable practices.
In contrast to the major issues facing the clothing industry, here’s just a handful of the changes and investments manufacturers of promotional apparel are making:
- Becoming carbon-neutral through the use of solar and wind power.
- The use of organic and Fairtrade cotton to make popular cotton products such as T-shirts.
- The use of recycled plastic products (such as bottles) to make polyester garments, reducing the amount of plastics in landfill and plastic pollution in seas. One sweater can be made of 19 recycled bottles![16] (Check out our T-shirts made from recycled consumer waste here*)
- Dedication to the care of and fair pay to garment workers, as well as compliance to international slavery laws.
- Recirculating and reusing the water used in dying process (one of the most polluting processes in the clothing industry).
- Cruelty-free and vegan production to avoid the use of and harm to animals. This includes using faux animal skins and furs and alternatives to dyes that have been tested on animals.
- Using packaging with minimal or no plastic, as well as replacing entire packaging with biodegradable materials.
- Avoiding the use of air freight (this is particularly effective when sourcing manufacturers in the UK). The less fuel used in the transportation of stock, the more eco-friendly it is!
Why use sustainable clothing for promotional apparel?
Why not? Does your brand care about environmental issues? Your customers certainly do!
Throughout recent years, consumers have become increasingly concerned with the behaviours of businesses and have indicated a desire to consume more ethically[17]. Whilst the most concerning ethical issues to consumers are the welfare of workers, animals and children, there is also a growing awareness of environmental concerns caused by the fashion production industry, such as plastic pollution[18]. Clothing manufacture is now the third-largest polluting industry in the world[19] (topped only by agriculture and the fuel industry). On top of the environmental benefits of using sustainable apparel for your promotional clothing needs, customers and consumers are looking to businesses to lead the way in sustainable living. As discussed in our previous blog, brands with purpose, and brands who reflect their purpose and values in their promotional products, are favoured among consumers.
Every now and then, another big business or brand hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons: unethical or wasteful production practices. Many companies have suffered from boycotts, bad press and backlash due to their use of sweatshops, slave labor and unsustainable resources. In the long-term, the use of ethical and sustainable manufacturers, suppliers or factories can have a great return on investment, and something that your business can be proud of.
But isn’t sustainable clothing more expensive?
Not necessarily. One of the biggest issues that the ethical and sustainable market is facing is a problem called ‘Greenwashing’. This term refers to brands and businesses marketing their products or services as ‘eco’ or ‘environmentally-friendly’ when this may not be the case. This is an unfortunate result of the unclear guidelines on what can be classed as a ‘eco’ product. However, this also means that some brands raise the prices of their products on the basis that they are more ‘sustainable’. This creates an assumption that ethical and sustainable products and clothing are always unaffordable and expensive. However, this is not the case.
As with any industry, cost affects demand and demand affects the cost. Environmentally-conscious and sustainably-produced products is a growing market! In 1999, the ethical clothing market was worth only £4 million in 1999. Over the past 20 years, this number has steadily risen to £50 million in 2018, increasing over ten-fold[20]. With sustainable and ethically-produced products (not just apparel) on the rise, new technologies and practices are being used more and businesses can reap the economies of scale to find a wide range of affordable, sustainable apparel! This is particularly effective in the promotional merchandise industry, as (the majority of the time) promotional products are produced on a large-scale and able to benefit from the financial savings of mass production.
You can check out our range of affordable, eco-friendly clothing and apparel by clicking here!
Confused about any of the terms we’ve used in this article? Check out the glossary at the bottom of our blog post on sustainability here!
If you want to speak to our product and sustainability specialists, please call us on 03333 200 710 or you can email us at wow@wowmerchandise.co.uk to find out more!
Sources
[1] https://www.gopromotional.co.uk/blog/25-insane-but-true-facts-about-promotional-products/
[2] https://www.qualitylogoproducts.com/blog/50-stats-promotional-products/
[3] BPMA (2019 and 2020) Merchandise World. In: Eco Questionnaire. January 2019, Stoneleigh; September 2019, Milton Keynes; February 2020, Coventry. BPMA: Leatherhead
[4] BPMA (2019 and 2020) Merchandise World. In: Eco Questionnaire. January 2019, Stoneleigh; September 2019, Milton Keynes; February 2020, Coventry. BPMA: Leatherhead
[5] BPMA (2019 and 2020) Merchandise World. In: Eco Questionnaire. January 2019, Stoneleigh; September 2019, Milton Keynes; February 2020, Coventry. BPMA: Leatherhead.
[6] https://www.godelta.com/blog/what-are-the-most-popular-promotional-items-infographic
[7] GORDON, J., HILL, C. (2015) Sustainable fashion: past, present and future. London: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc.
[8] HENNINGER, C., ALEVIZOU, P., GOWOREK, H., RYDING, D. (2017) Sustainability in Fashion: A Cradle to Upcycle Approach. Palgrave Macmillan: Cham.
[9] WRAP (2017) Valuing Our Clothes: the cost of UK fashion, 11th July 2017. Oxon: The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP).
[10] THOMAS, D. (2019) Fashionopolis: The Price of Fast Fashion and The Future of Clothes. London: Head of Zeus Ltd.
[11] Fashion’s Dirty Secrets: Stacey Dooley Investigates. [Online Film]. Available from: https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/ondemand/index.php/prog/122D0582?bcast=129265478
[12] https://blog.epromos.com/promotional-marketing-advertising/how-long-do-people-keep-promotional-products/
[13] JOUNG, H. (2014) Fast-fashion consumers’ post-purchase behaviours. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 42 (8), pp. 688-697.
[14] THOMAS, D. (2019) Fashionopolis: The Price of Fast Fashion and The Future of Clothes. London: Head of Zeus Ltd.
[15] https://www.qualitylogoproducts.com/blog/50-stats-promotional-products/
[16] https://ecologiebyawdis.com/sustainability
[17] BECKER-LEIFHOLD, C. and HEUER, M. (2018) Eco-friendly and fair: Fast fashion and consumer behaviour. New York: Routledge.
[18] MINTEL (2019) Fashion and sustainability: Mintel marketing report, August 2019. London: Mintel International.
[19] https://www.theecoexperts.co.uk/blog/top-7-most-polluting-industries
[20] https://www.co-operative.coop/twenty-years-of-ethical-consumerism