How AnchorCert Pro can be part of your sustainability journey.
Sustainability is the work on everyone’s lips, and the impact of the climate crisis currently facing us is all too visible. Whilst pressure is put on Global Leaders to keep our climate and environment at the top of the political agenda, we all have a part to play by making irreversible changes to our habits if we are to reduce the devastating impact of climate change.
“As consumers, we have so much power to change the world by just being careful in what we buy.”
Emma Watson – Actor
The manufacture of ‘fast fashion’ has been identified as one of the biggest contributors to the global climate crisis. Fast fashion was more than affordable or cheap clothing, it came to represent the disposable society in which we now live. Consumers were encouraged to buy items of clothing that would perhaps be worn once before being discarded with much of it ending up in landfill. In fact, wrap.org.uk estimates that £140 million of clothes goes to landfill each year1 with just 1% of the materials used to make clothes being recycled2.
But, it’s not just clothing, during the ‘fast fashion’ era, consumers were also encouraged to pick up fashion jewellery in the same way. However, the impact of this is more unknown. In fact, it’s hard to find any statistics to quantify the impact of fashion jewellery.
In a recent survey, we found that an incredible 89% of those surveyed had costume/fashion jewellery that they had only worn once or twice with some respondents claiming that nearly half of their collection had only been worn once or twice.
With the average number of pieces per person standing at approximately 41, this would suggest there is a lot of fashion jewellery potentially heading for landfill.
To help us understand this more, we asked why some pieces had only been worn once or twice and, whilst there were some unsurprising responses such as an item was bought for a specific occasion, we were surprised to find that over half of respondents stated that items had caused discomfort (38.7%) or, in more severe cases, an allergic reaction (16.1%). A quarter of respondents said that the item was only worn once or twice because it broke.
So, whilst it seems that consumers do have the power to make more careful buying decisions, they can only make better decisions with more information and brands and retailers alike have been keen to promote their commitment to sustainability and the environment in relation to clothing manufacture but what about fashion jewellery and other associated accessories? How can consumers buy a piece of fashion jewellery or a hair accessory and know that it won’t be discarded after just a couple of outings?
In 2017, the R & D Team at AnchorCert Analytical developed AnchorCert Pro. This unique UKAS-accredited testing methodology can identify and measure a suite of 16 metallic elements that have the potential to cause Allergic Contact Dermatitis (ACD).
The test works by measuring the release concentration of metallic skin sensitisers and providing an accurate measurement of their sensitisation potential based upon their reaction with perspiration. The manufacturing process can then be reviewed and amended as necessary to ensure that the final product is highly unlikely to cause an allergic reaction to a person – even if they have already experienced skin allergies in the past.
This ground-breaking development offers numerous benefits to the consumer. Firstly, AnchorCert Pro compliant items offer consumers unparalleled protection against skin allergies. Incidentally, our survey results show that over 80% of consumers would be more likely to buy items if it had been tested to ensure it did not cause an allergic reaction. Secondly, the assurance that an item will not cause an allergic reaction also significantly reduces the number of items which are discarded after being worn just a couple of times which will help support brands, retailers and consumers alike as they look to make more sustainable buying decisions.
For more information on how AnchorCert Pro can support your brand, please contact Rebecca Ray, Brand Manager (rebecca.ray@theassayoffice.co.uk).