Greenwashing In The Fashion Industry- 6 Sneaky Ways Fashion Companies Are Tricking Us
The number of fashion producers and retailers taking an interest in sustainable materials, resources and manufacturing is growing fast. However, rising consumer demand for environmentally and socially responsible fashion has unwittingly spurned the growth of a murky marketing beast known as “greenwashing”. Greenwashing is a deceptive guise under which many brands hide unethical or unsustainable business practices. It’s is when a company invests more time and money on marketing themselves as environmentally friendly than actually minimising their environmental and social impact.
As well as taking advantage of the genuine desire of consumers to shop conscientiously, greenwashing can take the spotlight away from truly sustainable brands, effectively stealing their sales. Moreover, it enables the dishonest company to continue exploiting people and the planet under the radar. Apparel is responsible for the most greenwashing cases of any industry to date. In a world where supply chains are increasingly fragmented, sustainability is the hot topic and customers are accustomed to paying exceptionally low prices for clothes, how do we know who to trust? Read on to discover the 6 main greenwashing tactics used by fashion brands and learn how to distinguish virtue from villainy.
6 Greenwashing Sins That Raise A Red Flag
1. The Sin of Hidden Trade-Offs
This is when a company suggests a product is green based on a single environmental attribute. For example, fast fashion brands like Primark and Boohoo are notorious for releasing collections of clothes which claim to be environmentally friendly due to their recycled content or organic materials, but are actually made in sweatshops, evidence of which is reflected in the extremely low prices their items sell for. Outsourcing of manufacturing has enabled fashion retailers to take advantage of extremely low wages, excessive working hours and poor workplace conditions in developing countries. Truly sustainable clothes usually cost more for the consumer because the producer pays a fair price for its raw materials and manufacturers, to reflect their important contribution to the value of the final product.
2. The Sin of Vagueness
Another way companies deceive consumers is by using wholesome-sounding “buzzwords” with vague definitions to trick us into buying their products. For example, a garment might be labelled “natural”, “eco-friendly” or “conscious”. These words have no real bearing on the product’s actual impact on the planet- their definitions are not regulated by advertising standards authorities or official certification bodies and are often used to disguise something sinister. Natural fabrics such as viscose, rayon and bamboo are often promoted as eco-friendly- but this depends on where they’re sourced. Viscose production is responsible for the deforestation of 150 million trees every year, and bamboo production often involves the excessive application of pesticides- so make sure yours is from a certified sustainable source. Check out the Higg Materials Sustainability Index for an independent evaluation of hundreds of different textiles’ environmental impact.
3. The Sin of No Proof
It’s really important that if a company claims a product is sustainable, they back it up with facts and figures which are readily accessible to the public. Packaging should justify the product’s green claims in straightforward language, with numbers such as the % recycled fabric, and specify whether the claim refers to the product, the packaging or just a portion of the packaging. This is especially important if the product is peppered with buzzwords. Look out for official certifications, such as Fairtrade Textile Standard or Global Organic Textile Standard. Plus, if you’re in doubt about the conditions under which items where made, be aware that transparency does not necessarily mean sustainability; it’s possible to put on a good show during inspections and let standards slip afterwards. As with fabric, consistency and numerical evidence are key. Look for independent certification bodies like FairWear who actively pursue better factory conditions, wages and rights for garment workers.
4. The Sin of Irrelevance
Irrelevance tactics are when a company highlights its avoidance of a material or practice that is already illegal or non-standard. A common one is chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)- many items including clothing have been called out for pointing out that they are “CFC free”, despite the substance already being banned for 30 years. Another is “organic”- the definition of which is “carbon-based,” which includes everything that is or once was alive, as opposed to “certified organic”, which means it was grown using minimal pesticides and fertilisers.
5. The Sin of Lesser Evils
Lesser evils are when companies highlight one aspect of a product which makes it greener than previous iterations, or those made by competitors, but doesn’t actually make a huge difference in terms of its overall sustainability score. One instance of this occurred in 2019 when H&M came out with a “Conscious Collection” which the company heavily marketed as containing new leather alternative Piñatex, made from pineapple leaves, a by-product of existing agriculture. However, Piñatex contains both plastic and petroleum derivatives, meaning it’s not fully recyclable or biodegradable. Besides, keep in mind that H&M is still a fast fashion company, producing clothes on a mass scale under poor labour conditions- one sustainable textile does not a sustainable business make. If a gesture sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
6. The Sin of Outright Lying
Telling a half-lie means that although a business may be exaggerating about its promises, it is doing something positive for the environment, no matter how small this is relative to its overall impact. Sometimes, however, there’s no two ways about it. A company guilty of fibbing about their green activities gets caught red handed. This is the least common of greenwashing tactics, because it can lead to very serious legal consequences if caught.
Now that you’ve witnessed the dark side of sustainable fashion hiding behind those fluorescent shop floor lights, it’s time to go out and deduce the demons from the do-gooders for yourself.
And if you still aren’t sure whether a company is living up to its green claims, get in touch with them! Most fashion brands have an online and social media presence, and if they are truly working to make the planet a fairer and greener place, then they should be more than happy to tell you exactly how they’re doing that and what they’ve achieved already. Check out Birdsong’s website for guidance on the most effective way to communicate about this sensitive topic. If they’re not willing to talk, what have they got to hide?
Sources:
Sweatshop: Deadly Fashion documentary by Joaquim Kleven (Norwegian with English subtitles, available on Amazon Prime)
Sustainable fashion activist Aja Barber. Instagram @ajabarber
Sustainable fashion activist Venetia La Manna. Instagram @venetialamanna
Sophie Slater Vice https://www.vice.com/en_uk/article/kzmw5a/the-greenwashing-hiding-the-truth-of-your-favourite-fashion-brands
Will Kenton (2020) Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/terms/g/greenwashing.asp
Adryan Corcione (2020) Business News Daily https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/10946-greenwashing.html
Katherine Saxon (2018) WTVOX https://wtvox.com/sustainable-fashion/greenwashing-how-to-spot/
Elen Mai (2019) The Welsh Wanderer http://welshwanderer.com/2019/06/26/greenwashing-what-it-is-6-ways-spot-it/
Emily Chan (2020) Vogue https://www.vogue.co.uk/news/article/greenwashing-in-fashion
Katie Caric (2019) Eluxe Magazine https://eluxemagazine.com/culture/articles/ethical-fashion-certifications/
Elitsa Dobreva (2019) http://www.elitsadobreva.yekomod.com/greenwashing-sustainability-or-profitability-chapter-2-examples-of-greenwashing-practices-in-the-fashion-industry/
Sharlene Ghandi (2019) Sense and Sustainability https://www.senseandsustainability.net/2019/12/03/how-fast-fashion-is-greenwashing/
