With the rise of ‘green’ fashion and the growing demand for sustainability in the fashion industry, some brands are trying to take advantage and are using greenwashing to stay ahead.
What is greenwashing?
‘Greenwashing is a form of spin, in which green PR or green marketing is deceptively used to promote the perception that an organisation’s products, aims or policies are environmentally friendly. Greenwashing efforts can range from changing the name or label of a product to evoke the natural environment on a product that contains harmful chemicals, to multimillion-dollar advertising campaigns portraying highly polluting energy companies as eco-friendly.’ – Wikipedia
As people become more conscious about the environment, ‘green living’ has become such a huge trend. So when a consumer’s needs change, businesses need to adapt to this change and ultimately deliver what their customers want.
Problems arise when companies aim to seem eco-friendly instead of aiming to be eco-friendly. This is when companies mislead consumers into believing their products and practices are more sustainable than they truly are. In the fashion industry this can show up as vague sustainability claims, misleading labels, or token eco-collections. They might also invest more in the marketing process, rather than attempt to improve their products or processes, or contribute towards the preservation and restoration of our environment.
Let take a closer look at some common signs of greenwashing in the fashion industry.
Common Signs of Greenwashing in Fashion
Vague or Unverified Claims
Some phrases like “eco-friendly”, “sustainable” or “green” can be used for collections or marketing without any actual evidence. There is no monitoring of these terms and brands can used them as they choose, with no certifications to back them up.
Lack of Transparency
If brands don’t disclose details about how their clothes are made, whether that’s about their supply chain, or where they are sourcing their materials, it’s generally because they don’t want people to know. This may also include hidden information about factory conditions for their supply chain workers, or the volume of product they are actually producing.
Token Sustainable Lines
This is becoming more common, and brands will create and promote a single “green” collection while the rest of their business remains unsustainable. All of the focus will be on that singular collection, which in turn makes the brand appear overall to be more sustainable, when they’re definitely not.
Misleading Imagery or Packaging
This is probably one of the the most common ways greenwashing is used across all industry’s, and is a very tactical choice by marketing companies. By using nature inspired visuals such as; leaves, flowers, and earthy colours like greens and browns, it suggests the product is natural and sustainable, when in fact it might not be anywhere close to that.
Overemphasis on Recycling or Materials
A product may by made of “recycled polyester”, but if the collection is mass-produced on an unsustainable scale creating a huge amount of waste at the end of its cycle, it’s not sustainable. These are still fast fashion practices and using better materials isn’t helping the situation.
Now that we’ve brought to light some of the ways we can be greenwashed, let’s take a look at how you can find truly sustainable brands.
How to Verify a Brand’s Sustainability Claims
Look for Recognised Certifications
Certifications means the brand has had to meet specific criteria for either the sourcing of a material, to the practices of the company as a whole. Some examples of these include GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard), Fair Trade, B Corp and OEKO-TEX.
Check the Brand’s Transparency Reports
When a brand or company are doing the right thing, they won’t have anything to hide. They will be proud of the partnerships they have with their suppliers and workers, the specific materials they use, their carbon footprint data, and the community programs and initiates they have in place. If these details are impossible or hard to find, then they really don’t want you to know and are hiding these details for a reason.
Research Independent Reviews or Databases
We are proud to have created our very own Australian Eco Directory to help you find sustainable and ethical brands. We have looked into every brand we include in the Directory so you can be sure you are supporting brands making a difference. Another great resource is Good On You who give ratings on international and well-known brands on how ethical and sustainable they are.
Examine the Business Model
When looking at a brand overall, do they encourage true sustainability? Do they advertise slow fashion principles by supporting quality over quantity? Do they have ethical working conditions and fair wages? And do they encourage mindful consumption?
Why Greenwashing Matters
As consumers it’s important to know how to spot greenwashing, as unethical marketing practices not only directly affect the companies producing them, but also undermines the smaller, local businesses who are genuinely sustainable brands. Creating confusion in the market can cause consumers to lose trust in labels, and affects the true progress these brands are trying to make.
It is up to us, the consumer, to get educated about who is truly green, and who is just trying to look that way. We need to look beyond the advertising campaigns, or ask employees about their company’s environmental commitment.
It’s not practical to stop buying things, but by becoming a more conscious consumer, we can be more mindful about what we are buying and who we are buying from. Supporting brands who are transparent, and aren’t afraid to shout from the rooftops about how proud they are of their values and processes within their business. Where we choose to spend our money makes a difference, so let’s make it one that does some good in this world.
We hope this has been helpful and assists you in spotting those doing the wrong thing, and those who are truly trying to make a difference in the challenging fashion industry. Don’t forget to check out our Australian Eco Directory which lists some amazing Australian brands we wholeheartedly support.