It will take some time for the people to change their buying choices
During the Fashion Revolution Week, Fibre2Fashion spoke to top officials from companies that adhere to Fairtrade and sustainability principles.
I don’t think we are lagging behind a lot in terms of awareness. But in a lot of instances, being sustainable comes with an additional financial cost. For example, treating the dirty water in the dyeing plant is expensive. But, we have to do it because if we don’t, the cost is a dirtier future. In India, a big part of the population cannot afford a completely sustainable lifestyle even though they may be aware of the consequences. I think that’s the biggest challenge—to make sustainability affordable.
Indian consumers are increasingly being aware of using safe, hygienic and sustainable products. They are also becoming interested in knowing the environmental impact of the products that they buy. However, this is still growing, and it will take some time for the people to change their buying choices.
It’s unfair to use the word “lagging” in my opinion—we, Indian citizens, have so many harsh realities and challenges in our daily lives, but yet are ethically-minded and socially-conscious on the whole. There are definitely other countries that have become extremely aware of the social and environmental impact of our lifestyle choices, but most of them are wealthy nations not dealing with as much strife as we do, and I think that has an impact on the consciousness too given there is more mind-space to think about these issues. But Indian consumers are getting more conscious—the trend is very positive.
Yes, we feel that Indian citizens are lagging behind in terms of awareness and very many lifestyle changes have to be undergone.
Published on: 09/05/2018
DISCLAIMER: All views and opinions expressed in this column are solely of the interviewee, and they do not reflect in any way the opinion of Fibre2Fashion.com.
