A while back I read an interesting article in the Collegian that claimed that society falls for buying overpriced "organic" clothing and food because it makes them feel better about themselves because they get an illusion that they are saving the world. In reality, most of these organic products are not much different than regular products in their chemical makeup and all of them are still produced in the same factories that cause pollution. What the article suggested is that instead of paying for a NEW pair of organic jeans...why not just wear an OLD pair of jeans and NOT make a new purchase? This is the only sure way of helping the environment.
Many products like Levi's organic jeans
have come up with organic clothes. The green label that reads "100% organic cotton" manipultes people to think that these jeans are made with better material and are safer for the enviroment. Since there has been a big "green" push recently, many people believe that it is the right thing to do to purchase these products. In reality, this is a trick companies use to make a profit. These jeans are probably more expensive than regular Levi's jeans and the only thing that the consumer is paying more for is the tag that says "100% cotton" because the materials used are generally the same.
Fact: there are no regulations/standards that companies must follow to ensure that their products are "organic." Essentially, most companies can lie and get away with it.
Going back to the article, instead of purchasing MORE organic clothing, why not just re-use old clothing? If someone really wants to change the world and the environment then they cannot fall into these marketing tricks. The best way to be green is to reuse and recycle what one already owns.
Just like the "Kony 2012" video phenomenon, people want to feel better about themselves. If they can do this by still buying the things they want without having to sacrifice anything in terms of quality, even better. The world today is one of instant gratification. Companies are going to keep making stuff that is no better than their other lines of clothing-- but at times significantly more expensive-- because people keep buying it.
ReplyDeleteI actually found this really informative because I am usually one of those people who would see that tag and go out to help the world go green. Overall, its kind of sad to see that companies can lie like this and actually get away with it. I feel like there should be some type of regulations setup so that people stop trying to help the environment buy buying new jeans and instead go keep wearing their old jeans.
ReplyDeleteThere is something about seeing organic and people thinking they are doing good for themselves. I love how mislead people are because they feel complied to buy the more natural or pure choice even if it is the exact same thing as the "nonorganic" choice. Is there organic cotton? No and I feel companies are doing people a diservice through these advertisements because there are contributing to the "organic" movement that organic is always better. When I look at this advertisement I see just one thing, "Scam!"
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