8/10/2018 Does Sustainability Have a Millennial Problem? – Sourcing Journal Home > Topics > Sustainability AUGUST 7, 2018 9:41AM ET Does Sustainability Have a Millennial Problem? By Jasmin Malik Chua Sorry, Planet Earth, but don’t count on millennials to save you. RELATED ARTICLES Grocery Stores Turn Fashion Destinations With New Collections Wecycled's Waste-Free Textile Manufacturing Gets Spotlight Despite a reputation for being socially, politically and environmentally “woke”—to the point of caricature by their curmudgeonly forebears—the demographic born between 1982 and 2000, per the U.S. Census Bureau (and 1981 and 1996, according to the Pew Research Center) isn’t about to martyr themselves on the altar of the greater good. This might go against everything we think we know about the avocado-toast-loving, safe-spacedemanding, ownership-averse group. An oft-quoted 2015 Nielsen Global Corporate Survey, after all, https://sourcingjournal.com/topics/sustainability/sustainability-millennial-108956/ 1/4 8/10/2018 Does Sustainability Have a Millennial Problem? – Sourcing Journal found that 73 percent of millennials, versus 66 percent of the general population, are willing to pay extra for items that dovetail with their progressive values. But intent and action can be very different animals. And when it comes to triggering an actual purchase, recent research shows that sustainability isn’t the foremost consideration you might think. A study conducted last month by a pair of University of Cambridge MBA students and ethical e-tailer Mamoq, for instance, found that sustainability came in a distant fourth to t, price and style as the top criteria shoppers use. In the survey of 123 respondents, 84 percent proclaimed t as their No. 1 priority. Perhaps most tellingly, 67 percent of them were unwilling to sacri ce t, price or style to buy a product that bettered society or the environment in some way. A larger sample size bore this out, too. In February, New York City’s LIM College revealed that only 34 percent of the 685 millennials it surveyed said they were driven to buy a garment or accessory because it was eco-friendly and sustainably produced. In comparison, 95 percent were motivated by ease of purchase, 95 percent by price and value and 92 percent by the uniqueness of the item (nobody wants to be caught on “the ‘gram” wearing the same thing as everyone else). Et tu, millennials? For Robert Conrad and Kenneth M. Kambara, the marketing and nance professors who conducted the study, the results weren’t wholly unexpected. “We knew that uniqueness and value for the money have been the key purchase drivers, so it isn’t a stretch that sustainability isn’t top of mind for fashion purchases,” Kambara said. “The social awareness attitudes are there, but when it comes down to spending, other things matter more.” It’s not that millennials don’t want to put their money where their hearts are. Nearly 90 percent of those surveyed agreed that millennials and Gen Z will help create more sustainably produced products by convincing businesses and governments to change existing practices. And an equal percentage af rmed they would ditch a product or brand for overtly damaging the environment. But there simply aren’t enough brands that can check off all of millennials’ desired boxes, Conrad and Kambara said. Even “eco-friendly youth-oriented brands” such as Anek, Everlane, Nudie Jeans, Patagonia, People Tree, Reformation and K.O.I don’t have the scale or variety of offerings to meet millennials’ requirements for ease, price and uniqueness. “It is one thing to like something— ‘thumbs up’—and another to be willing to pay for it— ‘wallet out,’” Conrad said. “That is true for all of us at some level. This is simply one way it applies to millennials.” https://sourcingjournal.com/topics/sustainability/sustainability-millennial-108956/ 2/4 8/10/2018 Does Sustainability Have a Millennial Problem? – Sourcing Journal These numbers aside, sustainable apparel, by and large, is on an upward trajectory, according to Katie Smith, director of analysis and insights at Edited, a retail-technology rm based in London, New York and San Francisco. But millennials also came of age at a time when you can make price comparisons online in seconds, so they’re at once “exceptionally price savvy and sensitive,” she added. It should come as no surprise that millennials are watching their wallets. Many entered the workforce during the economic downturn. With traditional full-time employment disappearing in favor of the socalled “gig economy,” nancial stability has become an abiding concern. Faced with “rising costs of education, property and city living, one way millennials are approaching sustainability is buying less clothing, full stop,” Smith said. “[They’re] opting to not just wear and throw away but are shifting their spend to experiential pursuits instead.” Another study from Ohio State University claimed consumers can “willfully misremember” facts about products that were made less than sustainably or ethically. After they were asked to memorize the attributes of a list of made-up brands of desks, for instance, participants were able to accurately recall their size and quality but faltered when it came to remembering if they were made of tree-farm or rainforest wood. A similar pattern emerged when they were asked to differentiate between jeans made from adult or child labor. Memory, it turns out, is a tricky thing, especially when it threatens to make us feel poorly about a potential purchase, according to Rebecca Reczek, associate professor of marketing at The Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business and co-author of the study, which was published in December 2017 in the Journal of Consumer Research. “It’s not necessarily a conscious decision by consumers to forget what they don’t want to know,” Reczek said in a statement. “It is a learned coping mechanism to tune out uncomfortable information because it makes their lives easier.” Indeed brands and retailers that hone in on sustainability to the exclusion of everything else are essentially asking their customers to set aside their own interests for some nebulous act of charity they’ll never see the fruits of, said Alden Wicker, a blogger, in uencer and yes, millennial, who writes extensively about ethical fashion. The most successful of the “conscious” brands are those that don’t prioritize sustainability or ethics over t, value and style. Instead their virtuousness feel more like perks, Wicker said. Take Allbirds, the footwear phenomenon that’s taken over Silicon Valley by storm, for example. https://sourcingjournal.com/topics/sustainability/sustainability-millennial-108956/ 3/4 8/10/2018 Does Sustainability Have a Millennial Problem? – Sourcing Journal “I think most people who buy Allbirds aren’t doing it because they use nontoxic glues and wool,” Wicker said. “I think they’re doing it because they get a lot of value out of them as a direct-toconsumer brand that looks cool and is comfortable.” Same thing with Reformation, the breezy cool-girl clothing label beloved by celebrities like Karlie Kloss, Olivia Wilde and Rihanna. Sure, it repurposes deadstock fabrics and offcuts from the manufacturing process, but that’s hardly its selling point. “It’s just a sexy-looking brand that people really like. It follows the same lines: the price is right, the t is great, it’s a great-looking brand and oh yeah, it’s sustainable, awesome,” Wicker said. “This might be the nal nudge toward pressing the purchase button, but it’s not what initiated the purchase decision.” This dovetails with recent revelations by Impossible.com’s Lily Cole: The average Jane or Joe doesn’t want a deep dive into how a garment was made. In fact, Cole found that the more information people received, the more overwhelmed and alienated they became. The key is to keep the message simple. “What we honed in on is storytelling and photographs,” Cole said at the Copenhagen Fashion Summit in May. “If you see the images of the people making the clothes, if you see the places they come from, that seems to be a more engaging way for people to understand.” But ultimately brands—sustainable or not—can’t coast on virtue signaling. Millennials want to feel good about their purchase, but they won’t go out of their way for that extra dopamine hit. “[Millennials] care about the women making our clothes. We care about the refugees. We care about the polar bears,” Wicker said. “But eventually we sort of run out of steam and we can’t care about everything and everyone. So in the end we’re just thinking, ‘How can I get the style of the clothes that I want at a price that I can afford?'” TAGS MILLENNIALS SUSTAINABLE APPAREL https://sourcingjournal.com/topics/sustainability/sustainability-millennial-108956/ 4/4 Testing for Antimildew Antifungal, antimicrobial, and antimildew are all performance claims that can be found on products such as jackets, socks, slippers, towels, intimates, and more. These claims are becoming increasingly more appealing to consumers. Fungi, bacteria, and mildew thrive in moist, warm conditions. Fabrics composed of natural fibers are potentially at risk for microorganism growth (cotton, rayon, linen, etc.) since microorganisms need organic material to supply nutrients. Soil on synthetic fibers can also supply food to microorganisms. Fungi, bacteria, and mildew can alter the pH of the fabric, change the color, decrease the strength, or give an odor to the fabric. Products consistently exposed to sweat and moisture are a concern for the potential growth of these microorganisms. Treatments can be applied to products to prevent these from growing and spreading. Products that demonstrate consistent performance in the subsequent methods could be claimed as Antifungal, Antimicrobial, or Antimildew. Test Method ASTM G21 MMG’s Requirements: No fungal growth This method tests the ability of a material to resist the growth of fungus. Testing for Antifungal Test Method AATCC 30 MMG’s Requirements: No fungal growth This method tests the susceptibility of textiles to mildew, rot, or grow fungus as well as the antimicrobial effectiveness of fungicides on textile. This is used to test textile materials intended for outdoor and above ground use, these products are typically waterproofed. Treated and untreated nutrient-saturated fabric strips are sprayed with a mixed spore suspension of mildew-causing organisms. They are then incubated at 90 +/- 2% relative humidity. Mildew growth is evaluated at weekly intervals for up to four weeks. Results are reported based on the percentage of growth: 0 is No Growth and a 4 is Greater than 60% Observed Growth. Testing for Antimicrobial Test Method AATCC 100 MMG’s Requirements: 85% Reduction minimum in original state & after 10 washes This method tests the antimicrobial activity on washed and unwashed fabric against Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumonia over a 24 hour contact period. What are the benefits? ➢ ➢ ➢ ODOR CONTROL INHIBIT BACTERIA & FUNGI GROWTH PROTECT AGAINST PRODUCT DISCOLORATION & DEGRADATION Microbial culture is prepared and inoculated onto the antimicrobial treated fabric swatches as well as onto untreated, control swatches. Bacteria counts are observed at the initial stage and then incubated for 24 hours. Bacteria will multiply if the fabric swatch is not antimicrobial. The percent reduction of both bacteria is given for both the treated and untreated test specimens. Five fungi (Penicillium, Aspergillus, Chaetomium, Trichoderma, Aureobasidium) are sprayed onto test and control samples. Test samples are put into Petri dishes. Samples are then inoculated with a spore suspension until surface is moist. The dishes are then sealed to maintain humidity and incubated for up to 28 days. Pictures are taken at specified intervals and evaluated based on fungal growth. The results show a rating that ranges from No Growth to Heavy Growth Detected on Sample. How can I claim antifungal, antimicrobial, or antimildew on my products? MMG has an Antimicrobial, Antifungal & Antimildew product claims policy: All pesticides used in the U.S. must be registered by the EPA. This assures that pesticides will be properly labeled and, if used in accordance with specifications, will not cause unreasonable harm to the environment. MMG’s policy also does not allow manufacturing or marketing products that claim to protect public health. Only products that meet the Treated Articles Exemption MMG will only consider. This includes pesticides registered with the EPA for use in or on the article, and if the sole purpose of the treatment is to protect the article or substance itself and not the person using it. The vendor is responsible for submitting all appropriate documents and testing must be conducted to verify the claim on the product. QUESTIONS? REACH OUT TO YOUR PRODUCT INTEGRITY TESTING ANALYST. THEY WOULD BE HAPPY TO HELP!
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