Is Cider Truly Sustainable or Hiding Behind Greenwashing?
According to many critics, Cider is trying to "pretend" to pursue sustainability in fashion. Delve into the enigma of Cider's sustainability claims with L'OFFICIEL. Discover if this fashion brand's pursuit of eco-consciousness is sincere or just a cover-up.
In a world where fashion ranks as one of the top environmental offenders, the terms "sustainable fashion" and "eco-friendly practices" are being embraced by brands aiming to showcase their commitment to healing the planet through their business operations.
Yet, this noble intent has often been exploited as a marketing gimmick, exploiting public empathy even when sustainability benchmarks remain unmet.
So, how can we truly discern whether a brand is sincerely progressing toward sustainability or merely camouflaging itself under the guise of fast fashion? L'OFFICIEL examines the recent contentious case of Cider, shedding light on the matter.
What you need to know about Cider
Hailing from Hong Kong, Cider is a women's fashion brand renowned for a diverse array of clothing. Daxue Consulting equates Cider's business model with that of Shein – a fast fashion giant – characterised by swift releases of new designs, rock-bottom prices, and aggressive social media strategies.
With annual revenues estimated at $1 to $2 million, Cider's financial scale pales compared to Shein's $22.7 billion or Forever 21's $4 billion for 2022.
Drawing nearly 5 million Instagram followers and 900,000 TikTok followers, Cider predominantly captures the Gen Z demographic. The hashtag #shopcider showcases a multitude of clothing, amassing up to 390 million views.
Cider's website proudly showcases a mix of 70s retro chic, 2000s staples, and trendy items updated weekly, all available at unbeatable prices.
Is Cider a “fast-fashion” brand?
The answer is yes! Cider is positioned as a fast fashion brand.
Cider's tendency to swiftly replicate prominent TikTok fashion trends is evident, with the brand launching hundreds of closely resembling products within days, but at significantly lower prices.
For instance, an $8 coat or a $12 dress may be snagged, amidst thousands of similarly-priced options.
While Cider's website tries to distance itself by proclaiming a "smart fashion app made-to-order," boasting less waste compared to traditional retail, specifics on waste reduction are murky, failing to lift the brand from the "fast fashion" label. Other factors, including production materials, supply chain transparency, and work conditions, remain unaddressed.
Is Cider really sustainable and ethical?
Keen on deciphering Cider's sustainability and ethics? Let's assess essential business criteria: labour conditions, materials employed, and supply chain transparency.
Transparency in the Supply Chain and Labour Conditions
Cider champions a "responsible supply chain at our core," yet accountability concerns linger.
While Cider enforces a "Cider Zero Tolerance Policy" across suppliers and factories, ensuring:
- Equality and respect
- Health and safety
- Environmental problems
- Raw materials and production process
- Child labour prevention
- Freedom of association
- Salary
In its comprehensive zero-tolerance policy, the brand has established benchmarks across four vital categories: human rights, safety, environment, and transparency. Regarding human rights, Cider offers policies such as "during working hours, employees are not restricted to drink water or use the restroom freely". Regarding the environment, Cider requires "suppliers to reuse or recycle all waste sources wherever possible".
Despite the encouraging strides reflected in Cider's policy framework, lingering ambiguities persist. For instance, the commitment to reusing or recycling all waste materials appears commendable until the caveat "whenever possible" emerges. Similarly, the stipulation that employees' monthly wages must exceed local minimum wage standards sounds compassionate, yet lacks substantial verification. Often, exceedingly low prices in clothing brands result from cost-cutting measures like cheap labor. In Guangzhou, China, where Cider's manufacturing is situated, the minimum wage as of August 2023 stands at 22.20 yuan, equivalent to $3.05 per hour.
Furthermore, Cider lacks a defined Code of Conduct between its suppliers and manufacturers, posing a risk to the effective control of factory operations. Cider works with a lot of designers around the world so again it's impossible to know if designs were stolen.
This has culminated in copyright infringement disputes, including recent allegations of replicating Versace's iconic 13 Going on 30 dress design.
Materials
Cider strives to convey a sense of sustainability through its "Recycled Fabric Collection," showcasing Global Recycled Standard (GRS) fabrics like recycled cotton and polyester. However, this collection encompasses only 68 styles, a fraction of the vast assortment on the website.
However, through research, it was found that this collection only includes 68 styles, relatively small compared to the thousands of pieces scattered on the company's website.
The majority of Cider's products rely on environmentally harmful materials such as virgin polyester, nylon, spandex, and viscose. The brand's contribution to toxic chemical use exacerbates the environmental crisis. Additionally, Cider remains silent on carbon emission reduction initiatives and provides no evidence of reduced water consumption.
Finally, Cider commits to using d₂w biodegradable bags by the end of 2022. The bags Cider mentioned are from Oxo company and have been inspected by the EU Commission in 2018. However, many people claim that these bags have no evidence of biodegradation over a long period of time.
Conclusion
Cider's claim of being an AI-driven "Smart Fashion" brand, guided by consumer demand, is most likely a cover for "greenwashing." A cursory glance at their collections reveals garments priced as low as $5, appealing to a throwaway culture. Lack of transparency concerning production units raises concerns about potential squalid factory conditions.
For an eco-friendly planet, curtailing patronage of fast fashion brands like Cider is imperative. These brands not only prioritize transient trends over ethical practices but perpetuate a hazardous "disposable" lifestyle.
