Due to the growing interest in environmental and sustainability issues, people started to pay more attention about what they buy, how the product is made and even from where it comes from. According to a 2010 study on greenwashing from TerraChoice Environmental Marketing, within 2,219 products making green claims, 98% of them were guilty of greenwashing. Greenwashing is when a company's actions do not line up with its marketing message. This company can represent itself as an environmentally friendly company whereas its real-life actions are widely impacting the environment. The fast fashion industry is particularly affected by this phenomenon. During the recent years, many fashion brands such as ZARA, Primark and H&M tried to appear greener by marketing themselves as “green” brands.
https://www.wedressfair.fr/blog/pourquoi-les-collections-capsules-eco-responsables-des-grandes-marques-ne-sauveront-pas-le-monde
Market
The fast fashion industry is a huge market and it is also the second largest polluter in the world, just after the oil industry. It reached a value of nearly $68,634.9 million in 2020 and the market is expected to increase by 5.3% by the end of 2030. The whole industry is responsible for almost 92 million tons of waste dumped in landfills every year. However, some factors such as negative environmental impact could hinder its growth and people tend to be attracted to greener alternatives. Many retailers tried to show their eco-consciousness by launching eco-friendly lines. Zara, for example, launched an eco-friendly collection named “Join Life” and pledged to erase the use of toxic chemicals by 2020. This action was very little regarding its environmental impact. Its activities remain disastrous for the planet but in order to obtain more customers and gain their sympathy, Zara uses greenwashing.
What the law says
Since 1948 in America, Congress has passed laws about prohibition against “unfair and deceptive acts or practices”. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) protects consumers from "unfair and deceptive practices" and is very strict about greenwashing. It developed the “Green Guides” in 1992 and revised them in 2012 in order to help businesses and prevent misleading claims. This resulted in more legal actions against companies using deceptive marketing practices. Congress also gave the FTC the right to adopt industry-wide trade regulation rules.
Moreover, in Sweden, the government had to take measures about it because greenwashing became a huge issue. In the Swedish Marketing Act, it is stated that false claims are not allowed and any environmental benefits must be proved by the company.
H&M is an example of a brand that tried to greenwash its image despite unethically overproducing garments. In 2019, a new line made from organic materials and named “Conscious Collection” was released. According to The Big Issue, the line contained a “higher share of damaging synthetic materials than its main line” and it received a condemnation from Norway´s consumer Authority. “H&M are not being clear or specific enough in explaining how the clothes in the Conscious collection are more ‘sustainable’ than other products they sell,” said Bente Overli, Deputy Director of Norway´s Consumer Authority.
https://fashionista.com/2016/08/greenwashing-fashion-marketing
How to deal with greenwashing
It is important to know how to spot greenwashing in order to avoid it. Knowing which companies are really eco-friendly can make the difference. When buying fashion, it can be helpful to do research and read sustainability reports about the company selling the article. Using generic terms such as “green” or “eco-friendly” does not mean that the company is telling the truth. Moreover, it is good to be aware of what certification standards are relevant to prove the eco-friendliness of clothes.
Some alternatives tend to be privileged by people. Second-hand clothes and thrift stores are becoming very popular among young people since they gained interest in environmental issues. There are also real green fashion brands that can offer a large panel of clothes with different styles. Prices might be higher than fast fashion brands prices but more and more consumers are willing to pay the price for eco-friendly products.
In conclusion, the fast fashion industry is not an exception regarding greenwashing. They display what consumers want to see and try to adapt to the consumer´s new interests. Some progress is being made but it seems to be not enough. People need to be aware of what is happening and change their habits instead of following the trends.
Princilia S.
Webograghy
-Leyla Acaroglu, Jul 8, 2019, What is Greenwashing? How to Spot It and Stop it,
https://medium.com/disruptive-design/what-is-greenwashing-how-to-spot-it-and-stop-it-c44f3d130d5
-Ian, Aug 30, 2021, What is greenwashing and why is it bad?,
https://ecotree.green/en/blog/what-is-greenwashing-and-why-is-it-bad
-Alex Assoune,Fast Fashion Brands Accused of Greenwashing,
https://www.panaprium.com/blogs/i/fast-fashion-brands-accused-of-greenwashing
-RYAN MORRISON, Oct 7, 2021, Major high-street brands including H&M, Primark and Zara are accused of 'greenwashing' - as research reveals trendy clothes made from recycled bottles actually create MORE plastic waste,
-Tornado, Green vs Greenwashing, https://blog.tornadovac.com/green-vs-greenwashing/
-Sophie McMahon, Sep 26, 2021, Green or Greenwashed?: The truth behind fast fashion brands lies.,
https://thebadgeronline.com/2021/09/green-or-greenwashed-the-truth-behind-fast-fashion-brands-lies/
-Global Fast Fashion Market Report 202, Nov 02, 2021 - Market is Expected to Grow at a CAGR of 5.3% from 2025 and Reach $211,909.7 Million in 2030, https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-fast-fashion-market-report-2021---market-is-expected-to-grow-at-a-cagr-of-5-3-from-2025-and-reach-211-909-7-million-in-2030--301414180.html
- EMILY CHAN, Aug 23, 2019, Is fast fashion taking a green future seriously?,
-Federal Trade Commission website, https://www.ftc.gov/about-ftc
Hello Princilia,
ReplyDeleteThank you for this very interesting article that shows the importance of knowing what greenwashing is to be able to buy from real eco-friendly brands and not from brands who do misleading marketing to sell more and to be shown as "green" brands.
But I was wondering, are they real consequences for the brands that do greenwashing ? As there are laws on it but we can see that today a lot of brands continue to do it.
Tatiana T.
Hello Anais, thank you for your comment.
DeleteI am sorry but I do not think that I have fully understood what your question was about but I think that if consumers are becoming aware of environmental issues, the brands to whom they buy their clothes will eventually go green.
Princilia S.
Princilia S.
Do you think that if consumers would not turn to a healthier and more environmentally friendly , would green brands make efforts regarding the environment?
ReplyDeleteThanks.
Anais. A
DeleteHi Tatiana, thank you for your comment.
DeleteThis is a very interesting question. Actually there is no clear regulations regarding greenwashing. Although, some countries are prohibiting unfair and deceptives practices. Obviously, if greenwashing was really illegal, brands such as ZARA and H&M would have never tried it.
Eventually, some regulations will be enforced at a global scale. Stay tuned !
Princilia S.