What Is Greenwashing? And How To Spot It

With the talk of sustainability rising in the fashion industry, brands are now using this subject to promote their collections which are far from sustainable. These brands trick customers into believing that their business actions are supporting a healthy environment when they really aren't.

AN EXAMPLE OF GREENWASHING

A recent study by edie.newsroom found that "60% of sustainability claims by fashion giants are greenwashing". There clearly needs to be more done to stop these brands from promoting false claims, but it can be possible to identify whether these brands are worth trusting. The example below shares how H&M have used the advantages of marketing to promote "sustainable" collections, using keywords commonly associated to sustainable fashion. This can confuse customers into thinking the brand is sustainable.

H&M

It is easy to be persuaded by the marketing techniques brands take to promote their products. Let's talk about one of the largest fast fashion brands, H&M. The image here presents their marketing strategy of creating 'H&M Conscious', which has been called out for Greenwashing. Although H&M have noted that this collection contains at least 50% more sustainable materials such as organic cotton and recycled polyester, evidence needs to be supplied to suggest that this was produced sustainably. On their website which talks about their 'conscious collection', there is little to no discussion of fair manufacturing pracitces. Also, the use of recycled polyester isn't entirely a sustainable long-term solution, as the manufacturing process still contributes to the release of micro plastics, which end up in the ocean.

One major thing to think about is that if a fast fashion brand creates a so called 'conscious collection', they have no right to label themselves as sustainable when their other collections are clearly not, as they are benefiting off the use of environmentally damaging materials and poor manufacturing practices used in their other ranges.

TIPS ON HOW TO AVOID GREENWASHING

1. LOOK FOR EVIDENCE

If a brand really is sustainable, they will want to share and be proud of their sustainability methods, which would be found on their website. Discussion of production and manufacturing practices will also be presented. Many of these brands will present their sustainability business practices, from past, present and future aspirations.

2. RESEARCH STATISTICS

Platforms such as Fashion Revolution and Good On You both release detailed insights into fashion brand supply chains, creating ratings and transparency indexes by investigating your favourite brands. These give clear indications on what brands are currently focusing on in regard to sustainability, if at all.

3. CHECK CLOTHING LABELS

Look for labels titled 'eco-friendly' and 'vegan'. These aren't always 100% natural and cruelty free. Many vegan fabrics are made from polyester, acrylic and nylon, which are highly used synthetic fibres made from petroleum. A tip to find out whether the item is sustainable is to check the details on where the garment was made, and what it is made from. Further from this, sustainable brands will give detailed disclosure of their material production, commonly presented on their website with certification evidence to prove this.

4. SEARCH FOR CERTIFICATIONS

There are several certifications that prove a brand is employing sustainable practices into its supply chain. Some examples of certifications which show fair and environmentally friendly production has been achieved are shown below:

Textile certifications

• Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS)

• Better Cotton Initiative (BCI)

• Responsible Wool Standard

Labour rights

• SA8000

• Bluesign

I hope this post has given you an idea on what Greenwashing is, and supplied you with useful tips to use in your future fashion purchases.

To note, if you're not sure on whether a brand is offering sustainable clothing or you'd like more information, don't hesitate to contact those brands. It is likely that the brands who carry sustainable initiatives throughout their supply chain will happily provide you with more details.

Thank you reading!

Sabrina Cowper | Reform Your Fashion