APP-DATE: Sustainable Ratings, Recycling and Store Locators

As part of an effort to become a more sustainable industry, fashion and digital initiatives often overlap in order to inspire the collective to keep abreast of changes in the digital fashion landscape. Below we list 3 apps that are focusing on sustainable efforts & implementing real change. Some of them are available to all stores; others are exclusive to one retailer or territory.

GOODONYOU
goodonyou.eco

Led by a group of environmentalists, fashion professionals, scientists, writers and developers, GoodOnYou is the key app for fashion and sustain- ability. It rates brands on several sustainability criteria, including environment (where the company’s greenhouse emissions, water and toxic chemical use are assessed, among other things), animals (reflecting on the company’s use of fur, leather, exotic animal skins and so on) and labor (an evaluation of the brand’s commitment to fair pay and health and safety standards in the workplace). What’s more, for brands with overall scores of poor or not good enough, the app suggests alternative designers who deliver (somewhat) similar styles within the same bracket but made more ethically.

REGAIN
regain-app.com

UK-based app reGAIN allows consumers to trade their worn garments in exchange for discount vouchers, while also enabling retailers to communicate their commitment to supporting conscious consumption. Customers are invited to drop off parcels with a minimum of 10 unwanted items, including those with visible signs of wear and tear, at one of the 20,000 designated drop-off points across the country and receive up to 25% discount from retailers that have partnered with the app. The garments are either resold or recycled into fibers that are then used to make new clothes, while the retail partners get the benefit of gaining new customers and enhancing their green credentials.

FAER AND COSH!
wearefaer.com

Regional platforms that enable consumers to locate sustainable brands and retailers are mushrooming. In Berlin, the Faer app has recently launched its Local Store Finder feature helping customers find the nearest shops that offer ethical brands; this app also has a direct sales platform that allows partner retailers and brands to list their (strictly sustainable) items and sell them through the app. Their tools work with all popular e-commerce platforms. Meanwhile, in Belgium, the ethical fashion start-up Cosh! has set out to create personalized sustainable shopping maps that feature local businesses selling conscious fashion labels. Retailers can subscribe and submit between 1 and 5 brands for approval by the app’s experts.