CHARMING INSIGHTS

Charming Trim, a leading provider of ecologically conscious apparel trim and packaging, is proud to be a sponsor of the American Apparel & Footwear Association's (AAFA) 2024 Products and Compliance Seminar on February 14 and 15 in Long Beach, CA.

With an increasing number of consumers willing to spend more for products they believe to be more sustainable, it can be tempting to focus your marketing and messaging efforts on the most eco-friendly aspects of your products. 

Unfortunately, that is often the first step onto the slippery slope of greenwashing: making unsubstantiated claims that can mislead consumers into believing that a company’s products are more environmentally friendly than they really are. 

We had the distinct pleasure of hosting a Q&A with Kathleen Talbot, Chief Sustainability Officer and VP of Operations at Reformation to pick her brain about one of our favorite topics: sustainability in the apparel industry.

It’s no surprise the fashion industry is responsible for a significant portion of annual greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, it’s overwhelming when you consider that retail accounts for nearly 25% of the global GHG emissions. And to be clear: when the Charming team first published this article in 2022, that number was 8%.

In a pre-pandemic world, QR codes were long forgotten. After nearly vanishing into obscurity, the QR code is back — and not just on restaurant tables. QR codes are making waves in the retail space, providing opportunities to learn about brands, find coupons, and make payments. 

In supply chain terms, sustainability is akin to ultimate resource management. Sustainability ensures balanced supply and demand for the long-term by avoiding the depletion of natural resources and maintaining ecological balance. 

If the global pandemic has taught businesses anything, it’s that supply chain resilience is critical to future-proofing brand and business operations. Global sourcing and manufacturing are increasingly critical to meeting evolving consumer demands and sustainability requirements. And at the epicenter of that evolution is nearshoring.