First impressions

The 10th of November was the introduction day of my field study at the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation’s office for environmental consumption in Gothenburg. It was a rather grey and rainy monday but the office on the sixth floor right by Järntorget was green and full of life. Quite like you would expect from an office of an environmental organization, the place was filled with plants and cuttings in vases, and the kitchen had a compost station. The furniture were part office supply and part flea market finds, and everywhere were shelves full of books and binders.

The day started off together with my mentor, discussing the plan for my time here. I’m assigned to do a study on the drivers and strategies regarding sustainability and labelling among different kinds of fashion companies and their representatives. Besides that I will help with an event on sustainability and fashion that will be held in the Textile Museum of Borås in January, as well as taking part in the weekly meetings and other activities in the office.

For lunch, I went together with a colleague to the coffee shop and record store Santo Domingo in Andra Långgatan. My lunch company is an expert and researcher in chemicals, and works with labelling in chemical and household products. We discussed the state of the fashion industry and the importance of actually communicating the sustainable actions taken by a company. How else would customers know and how else would demand be created for the more environmentally friendly alternatives? Though, if a company communicates green initiatives it must be prepared to be investigated by consumers, media and other stakeholders. The other way around, companies who are not very active or truly green, can still be perceived so by customers if the communication is vague. Thus, sustainability initiatives and communication is a tricky thing.

We also discussed, after I asked, the difference between organic and environmental-labelled products. Often consumers perceive organic and labelled products as the same thing, or the organic one being better than the “only” environmentally labelled product. But actually, a product being organic only talks about the origin of the contents of the product, and does not take its processes or potential harm into consideration. The product is in deed natural, but it might still have harmful properties such as endocrine disrupting substances or allergenes. The environmentally labelled product, especially if wearing the Good Environmental Choice (Bra Miljöval) label, might not be fully organic or natural (it often is, but it can also be chemical) but the substances are always tested against strict criterias. This is why for exampe the SSNC, emphasizes the importance of choosing labelled and safe products. This was a very interesting and new view point for me, who thought that organic is always the safest choice to go with.

The role of the SSNC is that of an important stakeholder, or an opposition group, who critically reviews companies and their products, conduct research, and stand as the voice for the environment in media debates and in collaborations with governmental projects. The office in Gothenburg is an organization that is built up by highly engaged people, who are experts in different areas related to environmental impacts and consumption such as textiles, chemical products, energy as well as food and grocery stores. The office has a very friendly and social culture, with many chances of conversation and information sharing. There is a “fika” session everyday where everything from tv documentaries to ongoing media debates, to competing labelling systems are discussed as well as off-work topics. Information runs freely in the office and it is clear that everyone is passionate about their work and have a sense of purpose and belief in what they do.

For me, every aspect of this is interesting. My previous experince has been in different kinds of fashion and retail concepts, so being in a dedicated environmental organization provides me with new perspectives and I learn new things everyday. When I leave in January I wish to have a broader understanding of environmental sustainability and how it can be truly integrated in textile supply chains. Just scrolling through the 45 pages long criteria book of the Good Environmental Choice label for textiles, I realize that there is so much to take into consideration in the supply chain.

Emelie