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Is It Green or Greenwashing?

Lydia Dupree

How to tell the difference between sustainable fashion and false claims

The fashion industry is swept up in buzzwords — especially when marketing sustainable fashion. “Eco-friendly”, “natural”, “green”—the list goes on. But what do they mean? Do they have substance, at all?

Most of them are fluff, jargon to make a brand sound environmentally conscious without any true scientific backing as to their impact on our planet. Easy to market, hard to prove. 

Saying that, we can welcome our next buzzy term into the mix — greenwashing.

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

What is greenwashing?

No, greenwashing is not an expensive non-toxic clothing detergent or the latest dry cleaning method. Greenwashing is the act or practice of making a product, policy, activity, etc. appear to be more environmentally friendly or less environmentally damaging than it really is (1).

How about greenwashing in fashion?

Greenwashing in fashion can range from debuting a “sustainable” collection that lacks evidence supporting how it is eco-conscious, to sprinkling eco-friendly verbiage into marketing without definition. In short, it is the use of false claims to hop on to the sustainability trend without evidentiary support (if only Legally Blonde had come out now, Elle would be all over this one!). 

Photo by Project Stopshop

How can you tell the difference between sustainable fashion and false claims?

Greenwashing — if you see these red flags, run!

  • The use of sustainability jargon, such as “green”, “eco-friendly”, “sustainable”, and “natural” in marketing without a definition breaking down what the brand means when using the term

  • A fast fashion company (looking at you, H&M and Boohoo) releasing a “sustainable” line — nothing that is mass produced is ever sustainable. Additional tip-offs here are if this collection includes a wide number of items at cheaper cost points (chances are garment workers aren’t being paid fairly) and if the company — even beyond this clothing line — comes out with new items often (think: daily, weekly, monthly, even large numbers released seasonally), then the company as a whole is not following an earth-conscious business model and can thereby never justify one of their lines truly being sustainable

  • Claiming fabrics to be “organic” or “non-toxic” without the certifications to support (see below for more information)

  • The lack of scientific reports exploring their sustainability impact — if a brand has the data to prove how they are sustainable, they will show it (see here for a great example of Reformation’s yearly sustainability report)

  • Using recycled plastic in clothing development— this one can be controversial, but personally, I do not see how the usage of plastic (even post-consumer) can ever have the earth’s best interest in mind (find out why)

  • Bonus! Adding the term “vegan” to make clothing sound like a healthier, cruelty-free alternative — most “vegan” clothing is petroleum-based, so unless you want to increase the amount of plastic aka crude oil aka fossil fuel in our world (how many times can I say no to plastic in fashion, honestly this is cruel to the environment), make sure “vegan” is referring to plant-based materials (preferably organic)

Green— my top green flags in truly sustainable fashion

  • Transparency — sustainability reports backed up by data (think: efforts towards lowering their carbon footprint, reducing water usage and overall waste, treating and paying garment workers fairly, and outlining future sustainability goals) are readily available (again, we love Reformation)

  • Traceability — clothing is fully traceable back to the source (such as the original farm that grew the cotton or the alpaca whose wool you are wearing)

  • Credibility — fabrics and processes are certified by credible sources (such as GOTS which ensures the fabric is truly organic, OEKO-TEX®, and bluesign® certifications which ensure that all-natural clothing is truly organic and not processed with toxic chemicals and dyes, and Fairtrade certified brands follow criteria that create ethical working environments for farmers and garment workers, support eco-friendly practices and prioritize fair pay)

  • Circularity — circular fashion stops the linear “take-make-waste” model and instead closes the loop on production, including responsible manufacturing, use, and end-of-life for every garment. Look for brands that have take-back programs to recycle and reuse garments when they are at the end of life (check out the For Days Take Back Bag to recycle your old clothes from any brand in any condition!)

What is an example of greenwashing in fashion?

H&M has been in hot waters recently after marketing their “Conscious Choice” collection as sustainable (see statement below), when it is really just made from recycled polyester (*ahem* what did I say about recycled plastic) (2).

“The shortcut to more sustainable shopping? Conscious choice…pieces created with a little extra consideration for the planet. Each Conscious choice product contains at least 50% of more sustainable materials — like organic cotton or recycled polyester — but many more contain a lot more than that.” (2)

This has resulted in multiple class action lawsuits calling them out for not only not being sustainable (the clothing line is a majority polyester — little to no cotton is included), but for developing a line that actually harms the earth (polyester spreads microfibers into our waterways upon wash and has nowhere to go but end up in a landfill after use) (2).

What are credible, sustainable brands?

Here are confirmed credible brands that you can shop confidently knowing they have the best interest of our earth in mind:

Everyday/loungewear

Adventure/activewear

Underwear

  • Knickey (women)

  • NADS (men) (10% off with code LYDIA10)

Shoes

Bags/Accessories

Now in the know

You are now equipped to decipher the sustainability cons from the true conservationists. Go forth with your newfound skill and tell a friend!

References

  1. Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Greenwashing definition & meaning. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved February 4, 2023, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/greenwashing

  2. Mehorter, K. (2022, November 7). H&M hit with another ‘greenwashing’ class action over allegedly false ‘conscious choice’ sustainability claims. ClassAction.org. Retrieved February 4, 2023, from https://www.classaction.org/news/handm-hit-with-another-greenwashing-class-action-over-allegedly-false-conscious-choice-sustainability-claims#:~:text=The%2055%2Dpage%20case%20says,way%20street%20to%20landfill%20or