Forty years ago the first Earth Day was observed in the United States, with a goal of raising environmental awareness and inspiring citizens to be better stewards of the planet. After four decades of Earth Day observances, and recent data concerning global warming, population projections, and more, consumers are definitely aware. The translation of that awareness into action varies, and when it comes to apparel, in particular, consumers deem it the responsibility of manufacturers to build in the green. Responses to the Environment Survey from Cotton Incorporated (the research and promotions company that, like Earth Day is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year) provide insight into consumers’ passive activism.

“Consumers are asking questions of brands today,” says Gary Kleinman, President of Yardstick Partners, an industry leader in developing experiential marketing programs. “They want added value, to know that the products and services they are buying not only serve them well, but also to some degree, the environment and the community. It becomes a factor in their value proposition.”

Consumer values are evident in both their big-picture and closer-to-home concerns. Responses to Cotton Incorporated’s Environment Survey show that 85% of consumers are concerned with water quality; 84% are concerned with food contamination; and 83% are concerned with air quality. Alongside these larger world issues, 87% of consumers say they are concerned about rising costs at retail. How, then, are consumers deciding where to focus their green and their green efforts? For most, environmental charity begins at home.

The Environment Survey reveals that 80% of consumers conserve energy at home; 78% claim to recycle and, on a related energy-conservation note, 74% of respondents state that they buy energy-saving appliances. Where apparel is concerned, however, a scant 29% of respondents state they actively search for environmentally-friendly options for themselves. The survey results show that proactively looking for green apparel increases inversely to the age of the wearer: when buying apparel for children, 32% of respondents say they look for environmentally-friendly garments; this figure increases to 48% when infant/baby care products are considered. According to survey, the key purchasing decision factors in apparel are fit, price, style and color, in that order; and this has been the case over time.

Although consumers place a higher value on fit, price, style and color of garments, 49% of respondents do cite environmental friendliness as a purchase consideration. Consumers strongly place the onus of green manufacturing squarely on the shoulders of makers. Forty-two percent of respondents said they would blame the manufacturer if a garment they were told was environmentally-friendly actually was not. Interestingly, 20% would not care as long as they liked the item, and only 14% would count themselves as accountable.

The magic bullet for eco-fashion, then, would likely be a source material that is versatile in style, comfort and price point. Jacqui Stafford, Executive Style Director at Shape Magazine points to cotton.

“Cotton is a great choice when you not only want to be fashionable, but environmentally friendly,” says Stafford. She adds, “Cotton is one of the best fabrics you can find, and at a great price point.” The fashionability of cotton is evident in upcoming television commercials from Cotton Incorporated that feature cotton designs from such fashion luminaries as Dries Van Noten, Alexander Wang, Marc Jacobs and Alexander McQueen. The iconic Lilly Pulitzer brand, too, is currently highlighting its own cotton-centricity in its “Lilly Loves Green” campaign, which shines a light on cotton’s comfort and fashionability, as well as the environmental gains the cotton industry has made in recent years.

The environmental progress of the cotton industry also resonates with consumers. In a related survey conducted in 2009, 68% of respondents felt even more favorably about cotton after learning that U.S. cotton growers are using 50% less pesticides compared to a decade earlier. The same percentage had a more favorable view of cotton after learning that the industry is leveraging the entire cotton plant to develop new uses beyond textiles, such as using the plentiful cottonseed as a nutritious food source for human consumption.

The added-value proposition presented by the cotton plant is inspiring some visionary product development. Ecovative Design, based in Green Island, New York, is using agricultural byproducts of cotton fields and those of other commodities to “grow” packaging materials. The process helps to minimize biomass and creates an organic and effective alternative to synthetic packaging insulators that is readily compostable.

Dr. Juan Hinestroza and his colleagues at the Department of Human Ecology at Cornell University have developed a means of making cotton textiles an energy generator. The irregular surface of cotton fibers enhances adhesion of the team’s electrically-conductive nano particles. This means that a cotton jacket, for example, could be used to power the MP3 player or mobile phone of the wearer.

The “halo effect” of the cotton industry’s forty years of progress creates a direct benefit to apparel retailers. Responses to the Cotton Incorporated Environmental Survey show that the primary way consumers gauge the environmental-friendliness of a garment is by consulting the fiber content label; certification seals ranked third. Since 90% of consumers surveyed see cotton as safe for the environment, cotton is exactly what the environmentally-conscious apparel shopper wants --- a product with the green built in.

The last word goes to Jacqui Stafford, who, speaking specifically to apparel range, remarked, “There are just so many things you can do with cotton.” Prophetic words for the next forty years.