'Not many ready to pay extra for eco-friendly clothing'

17 Jan '14

2 min read

Increasing raw material prices, energy costs, and other such factors are making environment-friendly clothing expensive, which in turn is making many consumers reluctant to buy the same, say industry insiders.

Speaking to Fibre2fashion, Mr. Ricky Miyatake, General Manager, Fibre Materials and Apparel Administration, Teijin Frontier Co. Ltd. commented, “As a general market trend, in markets like Japan, it is a challenge to pass all the costs incurred from the increased energy and raw material prices to final products.”

“Environmental awareness has been gradually increasing in many markets. Some are willing to pay for the extra cost for environment-friendly materials, but not many are like that yet at this stage,” he says.

“We import most of the dyestuff used in readymade garments from outside. We are controlling the use of dyes in terms of regular dyes and eco-friendly dyes. But because of this, the cost of manufacturing readymade garments is increasing,” states Mr. Arshad Aziz, Chairman, Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association (South Zone).

“We have to take care of the ‘eco-friendly’ factor during production, but it will definitely add to costs,” he avers.

“To some extent, the consumers in Pakistan are willing to pay more for sustainable clothing. But if the prices are too much, then they are reluctant to pay more, even if it is for eco-friendly clothing,” he adds.

This actually throws up a challenge for enterprises to manufacture eco-friendly clothing at lower costs.

Fibre2fashion News Desk - India

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