Grace Clift explores the ways in which Urban Outfitters impacts resources and the planet,and where it compares with other large fashion brands in regards to sustainability.
Interior of an Urban Outfitters store. Image by Ioana Cristiana via Unsplash.
September 21st marks ‘Zero Emissions Day’, and many of the biggest brands use this to claim their ambitions for achieving net zero, but are these claims true or is it greenwashing at best? This article will look into the climate commitments that Urban Outfitters (UO), a fashion brand with net value in excess of $3 billion, has pledged to work towards in hopes of achieving a greener fashion industry. Both the UK and the US have aims to reach net zero by 2050. On this Zero Emissions Day, this article aims to look into exactly what we are buying into when we buy from Urban Outfitters- and whether this is driving us towards or away from a net zero future.
URBN is an overarching portfolio for many brands including Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Free People and more. In their 2022 Impact Report, things look positive on the surface - it details “In 2021, Urban Outfitters’ Urban Renewal line salvaged and reworked 120% more units than 2020.” However, it is plain to see when things start to slip, largely in relation to materials: The figures in the report show that UO are still exploiting raw materials and fail to recycle the majority of their materials responsibly.
The report states:
● As of February 2022, 10% total direct sourced raw material is responsibly sourced.
● As of March 2022, 7% of direct-sourced cotton is recycled, or sustainable virgin fiber.
● As of February 2022, 5% of direct-sourced polyester is recycled.
These figures are extremely low, and when compared with their high profit margins (URBN had a net income of $159.7 million in 2022) made , it begins to become clear where the corporations priorities really lie.
An Urban Outfitters Store Front. Image by Chinmay Wyawahare via Unsplash.
There is also a clear lack of commitments to environmental protection. They’ve committed to “setting science-based targets by 2025” – committed to make a commitment soon. Currently, there are no commitments on carbon footprint management, though UO “plan” to release them in 2025.
The ‘What Fuels Fashion?’ report by Fashion Revolution, a special edition of its annual Fashion Transparency Index, was damning to Urban Outfitters. It reviewed 250 of the largest fashion retailers, and ranked them according to five categories: accountability, decarbonisation, energy procurement, financing decarbonisation, and just transition/advocacy. The aim of the report was to detail the levels of disclosure across popular fashion brands about their climate data.
High scores indicate transparency surrounding environmental policy, and low scores indicate a lack of clarity. The average score among the 250 fashion brands was just 18%, and Urban Outfitters wasn’t even close. They scored a shocking 2%, beaten by Amazon (25%) and Primark (23%). As a positive alternative, H&M was in the top 5 at a score of 61%; not great, but much better than other popular retailers.
Good On You is a site that aims to inform shoppers of the ethics behind companies before they shop, and has constantly updated ratings of almost all of the popular fashion brands. There are three categories: planet, human and animal impact. In terms of their planet rating for Urban Outfitters, they were given “Not Good Enough”.
Listed factors that justify this rating are:
● It follows an unsustainable fast fashion model with quickly changing trends and regular new styles.
● There’s no evidence it’s taking meaningful action to reduce or eliminate hazardous chemicals in manufacturing.
● There’s no evidence it’s taking actions to protect biodiversity in its supply chain.
In light of this information, more environmentally friendly alternatives to Urban Outfitters must be found. Good on You has a list of 10 sustainable alternatives: click here to read about them. It should be noted that many of the brands that produce highly sustainable clothing are expensive – though UO is expensive too. For a cheaper alternative for a fashion fix, environmentally friendly clothing, buying second-hand, pre-loved items or looking in charity shops are your best bet. There’s currently 1.9 million items from UO available second-hand on Vinted.
The interior of a charity shop with rails of second-hand clothing. Image by Prudence Earl via Unsplash.
This Zero Emissions Day, take the time to learn about how your favourite brands interact with the environment – you might be surprised at what you find. Shopping can be a great social event to do with friends, but it can pose a great cost to you and the environment. Try out some new hangout ideas in the next few weeks; you could host a sip and paint evening, do flower pressing, or have a themed picnic. If you have any eco-friendly brands you love, drop them in the comments.
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