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“Greenwashing is kind of a mix of not having meaningful information, but it’s also arranging and wording things in a way that sounds fantastic, but there’s no evidence that’s been provided,” says Cosette Joyner Martinez, an associate professor in the department. . in design, housing and commerce at Oklahoma State University. “Cleaning is like, ‘We’re going to give you the appearance of rich information that’s ultimately not meaningful.’ Giving me a street address of a supplier in China doesn’t tell me anything about what’s going on there.”
Let it be confused through incomplete or inaccurate information, experts say, many buyers try to make sense of it all. “Customers are mostly informed by the company’s marketing, and that’s where the confusion comes in,” says Lynda Grose, a professor of fashion design and critical studies at the California College of the Arts. “All companies … always put their best face forward, and they’re very selective about what they choose to be transparent about and what they choose not to be transparent about. It creates a lot of confusion with the public.”
And it’s often difficult to gauge whether a brand is exaggerating their claims on purpose or by mistake, says Roland Geyer, a professor at the University of California at Santa Barbara’s Bren School of Environmental Science and Management.
“Sometimes it’s hard to decide if a company or people within an organization are actively deceiving or if they’re actually true believers and just barking up the wrong tree, or if they just want to believe that’s the way they really are. can make a difference. ”, says Geyer.
But developing a discerning eye and taking the time to research can help you get a better idea of what’s real — and what’s not — in the fashion world. Here are some common forms of greenwashing to watch out for, as well as expert advice on how to verify brands and their claims.
Retailers who describe themselves or their products using environmentally or socially conscious words, such as “sustainable,” without providing additional evidence or explanation should raise red flags.
“There’s really no agreed-upon industry or legal definition of sustainability,” says Katrina Caspelich, chief marketing officer for Remake, a global nonprofit that advocates for fair wages and climate justice in the apparel industry. “As a result, brands are really defining sustainability based on their interpretations in order to justify salary, growth and profit.”
A company can make improvements to just one aspect of its resource-intensive, emissions-heavy supply chain, such as reducing the amount of water needed to make its clothes, and call those clothes “sustainable.” “, experts say.
However, in reality, sustainability is much more complex. Cotton, for example, is widely regarded as more sustainable than polyester, a synthetic fiber that is usually made from petroleum, a non-renewable resource and associated with high emissions of carbon and other greenhouse gases. But the sustainability of cotton depends on various factors, such as how it was grown and processed, or whether polluting or harmful chemicals were used to treat the fibers, Joyner Martinez says. Often, she notes, “none of that information will be disclosed to be sustainable [claim] it is never really proven.”
Certifications and efforts to support more sustainable practices can signal that a company isn’t all talk, experts say. The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) or the Organic Content Standard (OCS), for example, are two established organic certifications for clothes. Some brands also participate in organizations such as the Better Cotton Initiative, a non-profit organization focused on cotton sustainability.
The overall durability of a garment should also be determined by how it is used, especially how long it can be kept out of a landfill, says Joyner Martinez: “When we talk about durable wear of clothing, the brass ring is the longevity of the garment.”
It is common for brands to promote campaigns or changes to their operations that appeal to conscious consumers. But the way companies typically advertise these efforts “gives the impression that all of their processes are like this,” when in reality it’s usually just “a small part” of the operation, says Karen Leonas, a professor of textile sciences. at Wilson College. Textiles at North Carolina State University.
Launching a single line or collection of clothes made by garment workers who are paid a living wage or who use less resource-intensive production methods is a good step to take, but not enough, experts say.
“This can’t be the sole measure of your company’s sustainability,” says Alice Roberta Taylor, chief of staff at the nonprofit Global Fashion Agenda. “Just doing that one string doesn’t mean the company is sustainable.”
Instead, it’s important to assess a company or industry’s net profits, says Grose: Are brands overall reducing carbon emissions and water use, and paying living wages?
“There is waste built into the current system, and reducing impacts to a small percentage of them doesn’t move the needle,” she says.
Experts also caution against taking certain materials at face value just because they relate to sustainability signaling language. Vegan leather, for example, is “one of the greenest claims,” says Sonali Diddi, an associate professor in the department of design and commerce at Colorado State University who researches the sustainable production and consumption of clothing.
While vegan leather has become a popular alternative to traditional leather, the name is a rebranding of “pleather,” or plastic leather, a fossil fuel-based synthetic material. These artificial leathers are mainly made of polyurethane or polyvinyl chloride, also known as PVC – both are types of plastic. (Some companies are working on plant-based alternatives, but those products are not yet widely available.)
“From a sustainability standpoint, obviously vegan leather is not sustainable at all,” says Diddi.
But by describing the material as “vegan” — which is technically correct, since it contains no animal products — consumers may think they’re buying clothing that’s environmentally friendly. “It’s playing with people’s emotions and values to get them to buy something that might not be great,” says Joyner Martinez.
And keep in mind that materials labeled “natural” or “organic” aren’t always more sustainable.
“Yes, bamboo is natural,” says Diddi. “People, the moment they hear bamboo, they say, ‘Okay, I’m a good consumer buying bamboo products.'” However, bamboo is also known to have one of the worst manufacturing practices, which often requires large amounts of water and chemical processing.
Some research has also shown that organic cotton produces less yield than conventional cotton despite using the same amount of resources, Diddi says. “Just because it’s organic doesn’t mean it’s the best,” she said.
And while the material may be organic, she adds, the company may use cheap labor to make the clothes.
How to look after green washing
Once you have an idea of what greenwashing might be, experts say the next step is knowing how to evaluate brands and their claims.
“We need to do our homework,” says Mark Sumner, a lecturer focusing on sustainability within the textile, clothing and fashion industries at Leeds University’s School of Design. “Homework is really about trying to figure out what brands you want to buy from and why, and then thinking about what do those brands actually do?”
Examine a brand’s website. See if brands are talking about sustainability in an open and detailed way that’s easy to understand. For example, do they share specifics about how they source materials, how they are managing issues in their supply chain, and whether they are part of voluntary agreements aimed at improving their practices? “If they’re not saying any of those things, the rule of thumb is you’re going to assume they’re not doing anything,” Sumner says.
Caspelich also suggests examining the imagery brands are using alongside their sustainability claims. Generic nature photos or stock photos should be red flags.
Look for evidence of action. If you want to be more sure that a brand isn’t just lip service, Sumner recommends looking for sustainability reports — especially those that are audited or rated by a third party.
Independent brand reviews can be another useful resource. A 2021 accountability report from Remake scores dozens of fashion companies on key issues such as environmental justice and climate change, wages and welfare, and raw materials, among others. Other sources that rank and rate brands include Good On You, a website and app, as well as annual reports such as the Ethical Fashion Guide from Baptist World Aid, an Australian-based Christian charity, and the Fashion Transparency Index of the Fashion Revolution.
Check the certificates. You can also probably be more confident in a brand or product if it has trusted third-party certifications, experts say. In addition to GOTS and OCS, other labels to look for include Fairtrade, Oeko-Tex or Bluesign.
The Ecolabel Index, a global label directory, can be a useful research tool to better understand what different certifications mean.
Ask questions and trust your gut. When in doubt, you should contact the brand with questions, Caspelich says. Otherwise, she and other experts suggest relying on your instincts.
“If it sounds too good to be true or if it’s too sweeping a statement, then it’s most likely greenwashing,” says Leonas.
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