The conscious shopping checklist

How courageous you are in deciding to shop more consciously and to make your wardrobe more sustainable. After all, we know this is quite a challenge! (read: these are the three biggest challenges).

We want to help you achieve your goal and have created a step-by-step plan to guide you on your journey. With this handy checklist, you will know what to look for when searching for sustainable items.

1. It is essential to define what you will be shopping for. What do you need, and why do you need it? It is crucial to think consciously before shopping to avoid regretful impulse purchases. Next, ask yourself how often you expect to wear the garment. Is it a piece you will cherish for years and will wear often? If you don’t think it is that versatile or timeless, it may be a less conscious purchase better left for someone else. After all, we only wear our clothes an average of seven times! That needs to change.

2. Once you’ve decided you need the garment, you naturally want to know whether it is a conscious purchase. You can discover the brand’s sustainability policy through research on its website. For instance, does the brand disclose its production site(s) and provide further information? Are these factories certified? And what do they say about the use of materials? What kind of fabrics do they use? You can also check whether they are affiliated with an independent organization like the Fair Wear Foundation. You can also look at the garments’ care label information when shopping in a store. That should at least tell you where the garment was made and what material it is made of. You can also ask the shop staff for more information about the brand and apparel.

3. Unfortunately, not every brand is transparent, which means they don’t provide detailed information about their production processes, making it harder for you, as a consumer, to make an informed choice. Furthermore, the brands themselves are often unsure of what information they should or should not provide and what it says about their level of sustainability. This issue makes certification so important. After all, a certificate tells us something about worker welfare and the impact made on animals and the environment. Independent organizations issue these certifications, which are more reliable than the information a brand provides on its website. You can find all recognized certificates in this overview from milieucentraal. If your fashion item has one or more independent certifications, it is already a better choice than if it has none.

This checklist does not necessarily make shopping effortless or more fun, and that’s why the personal COSH! shopping guide will soon ensure you won’t need this checklist! So if you’re up for hassle — and guilt-free shopping, sign up below!