In the realm of sustainability, there’s no such thing as being overly cautious.
While many brands are jumping on the sustainable bandwagon and touting their efforts, not all of them are being truthful.
We’ve all heard stories about fast-fashion brands that operate with little regard for the environment or their workers.
These brands cheapen their production process and sacrifice quality to keep their clothing affordable.
For this reason, it’s so refreshing when we see a brand like Aritzia take the opposite direction when it comes to operating its business responsibly.
But how honest is Aritzia about being sustainable? Is Aritzia sustainable?
Let’s find out by answering the following questions:
Is Aritzia Sustainable?
Sustainability is defined as a way of living that can be maintained indefinitely.
Unfortunately, not every company has a sustainable business model.
Aritzia is one of those brands that are very open about their sustainability efforts and have received many accolades for it.
The company’s website has an entire page dedicated to its sustainability efforts, outlining the different ways they are trying to reduce their environmental footprint while producing high-quality garments.
150 billion garments are produced every year, but in America alone, around 14 million tons of clothing are thrown away every year. That’s over 36 kg per person.
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What Does Aritzia Claim?
Aritzia claims to be a conscious brand that prioritizes sustainability throughout its operations.
They make sure their supply chain is ethically sourced, their products are made from sustainable fabrics, and the company is creating a safe and welcoming work environment.
One of the most impressive claims about Aritzia is the fact that many of the apparel and accessories sold in their stores are made in North America.
Aritzia goes as far as guaranteeing that 90% of its apparel is made in Canada, whereas the remaining 10% is made in the U.S.
Aritzia is also very upfront about its price point, stating that its prices reflect its commitment to responsible production.
Is Aritzia Good Quality?
Quality is subjective, which means that everyone has their own idea of what quality means.
What may be high-quality to one person could be low-quality to another.
Aritzia’s quality is subjective to every customer, but they also have a quality standard it must follow. While quality standards can be flexible, they must be consistent.
The brand has certain quality controls in place to ensure that all of its products are up to their standards. They even have an in-house team that inspects the quality of garments and is in charge of pulling garments off the shelves that don’t meet the brand’s standards.
Is Aritzia Part of Fast Fashion?
It’s safe to say that almost every clothing company is a part of the fast fashion industry.
Fast fashion emerged in the 1960s and entailed the constant production of new clothes and the minimalistic life cycle of each garment.
This means that fast fashion brands will produce clothing with a shorter-than-normal lifespan, produce more of their product line each week, and have little regard for the environment.
Aritzia isn’t a direct part of this industry. The brand’s production cycle is longer than usual and they have a longer lifecycle for each garment.
Its production process is quite transparent, which means the brand is entirely open to the public about what goes on behind closed doors.
Aritzia even created a sustainability report to outline their production process and discuss their efforts to be sustainable.
Does Aritzia Pay Their Workers Well?
This is a difficult question because there’s no standard for how much workers should be paid.
The only way to answer this question is by looking at how much Aritzia pays its workers.
Aritzia’s workers are compensated fairly, but they also have extremely high standards. They have a strict hiring process that looks for employees who are committed to the company’s mission and have the potential to be leaders within the team.
Aritzia’s workers earn above-average wages but also receive annual medical coverage, a generous retirement plan, and life insurance.
It’s important to remember that Aritzia isn’t paying their workers well because they feel like it and it’s their responsibility. The brand has to do this to attract and retain good employees.
Where Does Aritzia Get Their Clothes from?
Aritzia has a long supply chain that begins in Canada but ends in other parts of the world.
This is expected of any company that produces apparel, but Aritzia does its best to be transparent about this process.
The brand sources its fabrics from mills around the globe, including places like Japan, China, India, and South Africa.
The mills are chosen based on the best fabrics that would suit Aritzia’s needs.
Its garment production occurs in North America, with most of its products being made in Canadian factories. This is great news for Aritzia because it gives them more control over the production process.
Aritzia’s Environmental Footprint
Aritzia’s environmental footprint is massive, growing with every new open store.
It’s important to remember that Aritzia’s environmental footprint is more significant than other brands because it has more stores than its competitors.
Bit it’s production process is very transparent, which means that the company is entirely open to the public about what goes on behind closed doors.
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What Does That Mean For You Now?
Aritzia is an example of a brand that prioritizes sustainability over profit. Being so upfront about their pricing shows that they care more about being sustainable than profiting off their customers.
While other brands are committing to sustainable practices, they may not be completely transparent with their customers.
This is the reason why it’s so important to be cautious when it comes to sustainability.
*Disclosure: We only recommend products we would use ourselves and all opinions expressed here are our own. This post may contain affiliate links that we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
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