Wow, Lululemon exposed! Disappointing to hear about the gap between their marketing and reality. Thanks for sharing the ASL report - seems like signing the petition and holding them accountable through social media are the ways to go. Maybe someday those high-priced yoga pants can truly live up to the eco-friendly image.
Excellent piece. Many companies do the same - pay lip service to change whilst actually doing less than they imply. As ever, the problem is cost. It costs, as the article says, to implement change, and with wafer thin margins, outsourced manufacturers can’t justify it. The answer, of course, is to return to brands owning their full supply chains, paying proper wages, in good conditions, using ethically sourced products. But they’ll push prices up, and in the end, despite their own lip service to change, few consumers will pay more.
So, the outcome is - mass brands, unethical, cheaper
Niche brands, ethical, expensive.
Or massive commitment!!
Decades ago, I knew a buyer at M&S, in the days before mass production in Asia. They used to inspect their manufacturers factories, including, I recall, taking a trip to the loo. If that wasn’t up to scratch, it could lose the deal. That’s the attention now required.
I can’t comment on their green credentials but what I can say is their running leggings are extremely well made. I have pair that must be at least 10 years old, worn a couple of times a week in all that time. They still fit amazingly but even more, about 8 years ago I tripped up, fell over and tore a small hole in them. Since then I keep thinking I must mend that but in all that time and all that wash & wear, the hole has never got bigger or laddered…. And because of that, I’ve never got around to mending it☺️
As a former employee of another superbrand US based women’s athletic wear company with a B Corps approval… it’s not just the plastiscene clothing. It’s also the carbon footprint of the making, packaging, and worldwide shipping. Every. Single. Piece. Of. Clothing. Is. Individually. Packaged. In. Plastic. Shipped from China.
Thank you so much Tiffanie, for sharing this important campaign! Lululemon must commit to supporting their suppliers to phase out fossil fuels and transition to clean renewable energy, to reduce their skyrocketing emissions and negative impacts on people and the planet. As yoga teacher myself, I understand the performance of leggings etc. really matters - which is why calling out the system/supply chain/business model is infinitely more impactful than any individual product-level improvements. (Although your plant-based sportswear recs in a previous newsletter were amazing!) More info here if any of your subscribers would like to get involved :) https://speakslouder.org/lululemon/
Wow, Lululemon exposed! Disappointing to hear about the gap between their marketing and reality. Thanks for sharing the ASL report - seems like signing the petition and holding them accountable through social media are the ways to go. Maybe someday those high-priced yoga pants can truly live up to the eco-friendly image.
Excellent piece. Many companies do the same - pay lip service to change whilst actually doing less than they imply. As ever, the problem is cost. It costs, as the article says, to implement change, and with wafer thin margins, outsourced manufacturers can’t justify it. The answer, of course, is to return to brands owning their full supply chains, paying proper wages, in good conditions, using ethically sourced products. But they’ll push prices up, and in the end, despite their own lip service to change, few consumers will pay more.
So, the outcome is - mass brands, unethical, cheaper
Niche brands, ethical, expensive.
Or massive commitment!!
Decades ago, I knew a buyer at M&S, in the days before mass production in Asia. They used to inspect their manufacturers factories, including, I recall, taking a trip to the loo. If that wasn’t up to scratch, it could lose the deal. That’s the attention now required.
I can’t comment on their green credentials but what I can say is their running leggings are extremely well made. I have pair that must be at least 10 years old, worn a couple of times a week in all that time. They still fit amazingly but even more, about 8 years ago I tripped up, fell over and tore a small hole in them. Since then I keep thinking I must mend that but in all that time and all that wash & wear, the hole has never got bigger or laddered…. And because of that, I’ve never got around to mending it☺️
So from that point of view, pretty sustainable….
As a former employee of another superbrand US based women’s athletic wear company with a B Corps approval… it’s not just the plastiscene clothing. It’s also the carbon footprint of the making, packaging, and worldwide shipping. Every. Single. Piece. Of. Clothing. Is. Individually. Packaged. In. Plastic. Shipped from China.
Thank you so much Tiffanie, for sharing this important campaign! Lululemon must commit to supporting their suppliers to phase out fossil fuels and transition to clean renewable energy, to reduce their skyrocketing emissions and negative impacts on people and the planet. As yoga teacher myself, I understand the performance of leggings etc. really matters - which is why calling out the system/supply chain/business model is infinitely more impactful than any individual product-level improvements. (Although your plant-based sportswear recs in a previous newsletter were amazing!) More info here if any of your subscribers would like to get involved :) https://speakslouder.org/lululemon/