– I’m not very good at complaining. I think it’s because we buy so much cheap clothes, says Trina Bjoland. She is also unsure of what rights she has about the seam in the new t-shirt. – Is it 30 days? Bjoland is far from the only one that does not have full control over consumer rights when it comes to clothes and shoes. Trina Bjoland is better at complaining if she has bought an expensive garment. Photo: Marthe Synnøve Johannessen / news Too few complaints, both Sifo research and figures from the Consumer Council show. – It is so important to complain. Then you show the shops that you expect more. In the end, they will be forced to listen to this and produce better and more durable clothing, says consumer lawyer at the Consumer Council, Nora Wennberg Gløersen. Have proposed date marking So far this year, only 4.5 per cent of all inquiries to the guidance service at the Consumer Council have concerned clothes, shoes and bags. The Consumer Research Institute SIFO has previously conducted research on how good we are at complaining about clothes and shoes. Sifo researcher Ingun Grimstad Klepp. Photo: Sonja Balci / OsloMet – We are very bad, says researcher Ingun Grimstad Klepp and adds: – There are actually more people who feel that it is wrong and who do not complain, than there are people who complain. Klepp has a concrete proposal that she believes will make a difference: – I would like date marking of clothing. It is a first step for consumers to become involved in monitoring how long the clothes last. In addition, it will make us more aware of those producers who sell goods that actually last a long time, she says. Will wait for the EU Sifo has proposed date marking both to the Norwegian authorities and to the EU. But this is something that could easily have been started in Norway without waiting for the EU, says Klepp. Climate and Environment Minister Andreas Bjelland Eriksen. Photo: William Jobling / news Climate and Environment Minister Andreas Bjelland Eriksen says it is difficult for Norway to introduce its own requirements for product labeling due to obligations to the EEA Agreement and WTO regulations. – I agree that it is important that consumers get better information about the quality and durability of the textiles they buy, but the most important thing to get the time is to get good, joint solutions in place in Europe, he says, pointing to product passports. My clothes must become more expensive. According to the environmental organization Framtiden i vår hand, we buy almost twice as much cloth today as we did 30 years ago. Much also indicates that the quality of the clothing is declining, according to them. – It has to do with the fact that we have a clothing model we call fast fashion. When clothes are to be made quickly and costs are to be cut, this means that some shortcuts are taken. For example, that the clothes are thinner. We also see that in the clothes we export out of Europe and which cannot be used again because they are tattered and ruined, says Anja Bakken Riise. Leader in Framtiden in our hands, Anja Bakken Riise. Photo: Jorunn Hatling / news But improving the quality of clothing will not be enough in itself, she believes. The price must go up. From 2015 to 2023, clothes and shoes were the product group that increased the least in price by 3.2 per cent, figures from Statistics Norway show. – But if everyone gets good at complaining about clothes that don’t measure up? – It could be a fantastic opportunity to influence the industry to change, but in that case there must be a requirement from the authorities that the producers actually repair the clothes. They don’t just change with a new product, she says. Positive about date marking news has been in contact with several clothing chains. Both Lindex, Hennes og Mauritz, Kapp Ahl and Gina Tricot say they offer customers to choose between a new product, repair or cancellation of purchase if a garment does not meet the requirements. Berre KappAhl and Lindex have answered questions about how many complaints they receive. KappAhl states about 0.5 to 1 per thousand per thousand per year. While Lindex replies that it is a small fraction. This is what the chains answer about date marking on clothes: Reuters Hennes and Mauritz cannot comment directly on date marking, but answer as follows: – As a global fashion retailer, the H&M Group has a great responsibility. This is precisely why we are transforming our business towards circularity, while at the same time ensuring that the product lasts as long as possible and is used many times over. This is the reason why we test and invest in new ways of producing and consuming products. NTB scanpix LindexWe welcome all legal requirements that in a concrete and effective way promote the transition to a circular economy, where the focus is on extending the life of already produced products. Nina Kristiin Vraa / news Sorlandet KappAhlWe are positive about the idea of date marking to contribute to raising awareness in the market. Unknown Gina TricotGina Tricot refers to several quality routines, including third-party tests at the laboratory, internal tests and spot checks. – As these routines are so well established and regulated by law, we see no need for date marking. Hi! Do you have any thoughts about the story you just read, or tips for other things I should check out? Feel free to send me an email! Do you have something on your mind? Feel free to use the comment field below. Hello! Welcome to dialogue at news. Since you are logged in to other news services, you do not have to log in again here, but we need your consent to our terms of use for online dialogue Published 17.08.2024, at 11.53
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Too few complain about clothes that don’t hold up – want date marking – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
