Sustainability is vital for modern fashion business owners. All consumers want to know that their clothes are manufactured ethically and without compromising the health of workers. That's why sustainable practices are important for designers, manufacturers, retailers, and everyone else in your fashion business.

Throughout this guide, we will help you understand the importance of sustainable clothing manufacturers, and the steps you need to take to lead a sustainable fashion business. We will also go through how you can integrate sustainability into your organisation, and what practices should be followed in order to create a sustainable supply chain from scratch.

This comprehensive resource is perfect for anyone looking to learn about sustainable fashion manufacturers, and how to implement sustainable practices in their own business.

What is Sustainable Clothing Manufacturing?

Sustainable clothing manufacturing is a modern form of garment production that's goal is to be beneficial to both the environment and humanity. Ever since consumer demand for greener fashion has increased in an attempt to combat the shocking carbon footprint of the fashion industry, slowly but surely more sustainable practices are becoming the norm in apparel manufacturing.

For example, choosing to work with manufacturers that provide safe working environments for their employees is one way you can ensure sustainable practices in your supply chain. Along with this, if you're hoping to sell organic garments then opting to use organic cotton and avoiding harsh chemicals or dyes would be good steps to take.

Related Reading: How To Start a Sustainable Fashion Business

Why is Sustainable Manufacturing Important in 2022?

The fashion industry has always been at the forefront of innovation and change, so it's only apt that the clothing manufacturing industry follows suit. The explosive growth of the fashion industry has resulted in massive emissions and water pollution. The increasing demand for clothing, combined with declining natural resources is leading to a crisis on earth.

Fortunately, many brands are taking notice of this pressing issue and transforming their practices accordingly. Companies like H&M and Levi's have started sustainable textile production programmes designed at reducing their carbon footprint and water usage.

When brands start to integrate sustainable practices into their manufacturing, they automatically become more socially responsible and aware as a whole. By also providing better working conditions and paying employees a good wage, the manufacturers stand to attract and retain talent, increasing productivity and reducing turnover rates at the factories.

Business Benefits of Sustainable Manufacturing

Consumers are becoming more conscious about what they purchase and the impact that every day decisions have on people, animals and earth. When brands begin to take responsibility for their actions, it results in a ripple effect where consumers also become more responsible in terms of how they spend their money, while also offering some great benefits to fashion business owners.

Sustainable manufacturing plays a pivotal role in today's society and is one of the best ways to improve brand image while also building consumer trust. By switching over to sustainable practices, fashion brands can reduce their carbon footprint, increase sales and build brand loyalty among consumers - which should always be your number one priority as a fashion business owner. Here's a closer look at some of the key sustainable manufacturing business benefits.

Enhancing Your Brand's Image

It's no secret that the fashion industry is one of the most competitive industries in the world. As soon as you start to manufacture your clothing using sustainable practices, it sends a positive message to consumers who are conscious about what they purchase.

Socially responsible brands will reap massive benefits in terms of enhanced brand image, especially with environmentally conscious Millennials. This helps with brand positioning and allows you to increase your market share in the fashion industry.

Socially conscious brands are also more likely to benefit from higher social media engagement, better online reviews and increased trust among consumers. For any business looking to enter or grow in the fashion sector, sustainable manufacturing is vital.

Boosting Sales

By reaping the above benefits, sustainable clothing brands also have the chance to increase sales. Social media marketing is one of the most important digital marketing channels available today and if you can get people talking about your brand, it'll go a long way in helping with online visibility and search engine rankings.

Increased brand visibility will also result in increased footfall every time you launch or re-stock your clothing in physical retail stores. If you're in the fashion business, especially in fast fashion, sustainable manufacturing is an absolute no-brainer.

Reducing Your Costs

As mentioned earlier, sustainable manufacturing can greatly reduce costs for brands because of reduced wastage and higher productivity. By switching to sustainable fabrics, you'll be able to cut back on your raw materials costs while also increasing your sales margins.

It's also more cost effective to maintain a sustainable textile supply chain compared with traditional fast fashion practices. Sustainable manufacturing can help reduce production costs while increasing revenue, efficiency and productivity at the same time. Manufacturers who switch over to sustainable apparel manufacturing will reap the financial benefits in the long term.

The Process Of Sustainable Manufacturing

Sustainable manufacturing is a much wider process that goes beyond using eco-friendly fabrics. It involves a complete transformation in the way a manufacturer thinks and operates, which only comes after thinking more about your customers, employees and community at large.

The sustainable fashion movement is largely based on understanding customer wants through listening to their feedback, while also ensuring that your entire supply chain follows eco-friendly practices. Sustainable textiles are only one part of the process, so you'll need to remain committed to your green initiatives in order to reap all of the benefits mentioned above.

The process of sustainable clothing manufacturing tends to include offering more recycled clothing options, using eco-friendly fabrics and following safe labour practices. You can also reduce your water usage by opting for closed loop systems instead of open pit dyeing techniques.

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Building a Sustainable Business Foundation

As a fashion business owner, it's vital that you build a sustainable business foundation by changing your mindset and thinking more about your environmental impact. Sustainable manufacturing is not just another passing fad - it's the future of fashion and if you want to stay relevant in this cutthroat industry, it's time to build a sustainable business foundation that'll help put you ahead of the game.

To build a sustainable foundation for your business, you could:

Talk to our Sustainable Fashion Concept Creation team
Create a vision for your brand and communicate it to consumers
Conduct market research to gain further insights about consumer wants and needs
Adopt sustainable business practices and integrate green initiatives throughout the entire supply chain (raw materials, production, distribution and end-of-life)
Engage with stakeholders to gain feedback and review your progress
Conduct further research to understand consumer attitudes towards textiles
Use technology to help with sustainable practices (e.g. integrated IOT solutions)
Focus on building a more efficient supply chain by reducing wastage, implementing lean systems and improving productivity

How to Find Sustainable Fashion Suppliers

If you're looking to change your business practices, finding sustainable fashion suppliers is probably the first thing on your checklist. Fortunately, we can help make this process a lot easier by connecting you with suppliers who use sustainable materials to manufacture their products.

Book a free consultation to learn more, or follow these handy steps.

Step 1: Use the Internet to Find Sustainable Clothing Suppliers

The first thing you'll need to do is find sustainable fashion suppliers. Luckily, the Internet makes this process easier than ever - so start by searching for "eco friendly clothing suppliers" in your preferred search engine!

Step 2: Look Out For Trust Seals and Authenticity Verifications

Manufacturers who subscribe to sustainable manufacturing will often display trust seals and authenticity verifications on their website. These include certifications from organisations such as the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) and Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC).

Step 3: Review Product Specifications

The next step is to review product specifications - popular sustainable fashion suppliers should have a range of eco-friendly clothing available, so you can choose a supplier based on their product catalogue.

Step 4: Contact the Manufacturer

Finally, contact the sustainable fashion supplier and ask for a quote. You'll then be able to discuss pricing and turnaround time, as well as gather more information about their service. Find out about the shipping costs and times of your chosen supplier - sustainable suppliers typically work with eco-friendly materials, so they'll likely have more affordable shipping fees than other manufacturers.

Looking For Sustainable Fashion Consultancy Services?

We hope this guide has been helpful in your quest to understand sustainable fashion manufacturing, but if you’re looking for further guidance, we can help!

From helping you source sustainable fashion suppliers to providing fashion design services and sustainable fashion production, at James Hillman we can deliver everything you need to get your business ready for the future of fashion.

Browse our services today where you'll find a wealth of options to choose from - or simply contact us with any questions you might have!