Dear Greta Van Fleet,

Let us begin this letter by congratulating you on the release of the phenomenal My Way, Soon, and the beginning of a wonderful new era in the Peaceful Army. We are beyond excited to see where your creative minds will take us next.

We are living in unprecedented times, where every choice we make can have an enormous impact on our future on this beautiful planet. The pandemic has highlighted the oppression of the most marginalised communities at the hands of the most privileged, and we cannot stay silent any longer. Even though we couldn’t believe, it’s only clearer in the mirror now. That is why we would like to bring to your attention the issues with the sustainability and ethics of the fashion industry, in the hopes that you will find it worthwhile to act on changing how your merchandise is produced.

Some of our most prized possessions are the memorabilia from your March of the Peaceful Army shows, including your white rose T-shirt. But this piece of merch has a bitter connotation: the label says Made in Bangladesh, and we cannot help but worry about the implications of this statement. It implies this is an item of fast fashion: a polluting and unjust industry that some of us are boycotting. Not only is fast fashion responsible for poisoning the environment, but also for the immense exploitation of workers, the majority of which are women from marginalised BAME communities in the Global South, working in unacceptable conditions to produce relatively cheap clothing for the Global North. A study conducted by Oxfam found that 100% of garment workers in Bangladesh are paid below the living wage.

The fast fashion industry is designed in a way that is inherently unsustainable, unethical, and unjust. Therefore, we firmly believe that continuing to support it would be at odds with Greta Van Fleet’s message of peace, love, unity, and equality.  Please do not take this as outright criticism, but rather as a collection of suggestions on how to start fighting for a better world from within the Peaceful Army – for we will not be hypnotised.

With a new era, new merchandise is undoubtedly on the way. Thus, we kindly urge you to act upon:

1.     Sustainability of your merch: Sell apparel made from sustainable materials, choosing natural vegan fabrics over synthetic ones, and using non-toxic dyes. As far as we are aware, the band members love buying vintage, as does a major part of their fanbase. Therefore, please consider selling upcycled vintage clothing, since reusing existing clothes is the most sustainable thing to do. We recognise doing this will incur expenses, but amidst this crisis, we cannot afford to value profit over the planet and its inhabitants. Moreover, we recognise you might have certain guidelines about the sustainability of your merch already in place. Finally, please beware of greenwashing – companies (in this case clothing manufacturers) marketing their products as “environmentally friendly” or “conscious”, while engaging in unsustainable and exploitative practices.

2.     Social responsibility regarding your merch. Please ensure that the workers producing your merchandise are paid the living wage or above, and are working in suitable conditions. Consider supporting organisations like Oxfam or Fashion Revolution, who working towards a sustainable and accountable fashion industry. Only by protecting everyone can we achieve justice.

3.     Supporting marginalised communities, and boycotting oppressors and exploiters. By choosing how and where you sell your merch, please consider lifting up local, independent businesses, in particular those owned by people from marginalised groups. Please favour those and boycott companies such as Amazon, who exploit their workers immensely, and thereby fuel inequality.

4.     Transparency about sustainability and social responsibility. Please consider sharing a statement or report on your store’s website, which would make clear how you are acting on sustainability and social responsibility issues in relation to your merchandise. This would ensure that the buyers are aware of how their purchase is affecting the planet and the workers behind the products.

5.     Raising awareness. We know the band members are not explicitly vocal about issues like this on their social media, but please consider raising awareness amongst your fanbase and beyond. For example, sharing a sustainability statement, or acknowledging this mission on social media, could provide a new perspective to, and thus change the buying habits of, thousands of well-meaning people for the better.

Please find here a link to the open letter signed by Peaceful Army members, the Instagram post explaining this mission, as well as a list of resources to learn more about fast fashion and intersectional environmentalism: https://linktr.ee/gretavandoodles

We recognise the above are not easy actions to implement, but we must ask you to start acting, because our time is running out. The Peaceful Army is a wonderful place in which to start change and advocate for a better world. Since joining it, we have all seen first-hand what a wonderful impact your music and message have had. The allusions to complex issues of social justice in your lyrics have sure inspired many to take action and build towards a better world. Tanja, the designer of this project, would not have the courage to pursue her passions and organise missions like this if it weren’t for you. We are eternally grateful to be a part of the love bubble that is the Peaceful Army. Its intelligent and dedicated members are coming together to spread your message, so why not use our unity to make the world a better place for everyone? Wouldn’t it be beautiful to live in a world where everyone can enjoy the wonders of nature, life, and love?

Let us plant a seed that will grow beyond the stars, because a better world is possible. Let us take the crisis we are living in as a pivotal point from which to build back better from within the Peaceful Army, and achieve justice by spreading its most essential components: peace, love, unity and equality.

We are looking forward to your response, and we cannot wait to see what the new era of Greta Van Fleet brings. Here’s to an unending celebration of love.

For more information, contact Tanja at @gretavandoodles on Instagram, or at thepeacefulchange@outlook.com.

Sending you all the love in the world,

Members of the Peaceful Army