Navigating the Greenwashing Landscape in Fashion

Everything you as a shopper should know about fashion greenwashing.

2024 is almost over and is still on track to surpass 2023 as the hottest year on record. Earlier this year saw Earth Day’s annual theme focus on “Planet vs Plastics” to raise awareness about the billions of plastic waste items poisoning the ecosystem and driving up global temperatures.  

And while most of us are, naturally, on board with living somewhat sustainable lifestyles in exchange for a habitable planet, it can be tough to do so when you don’t know what the products you buy are made from. 

When it comes to fashion, it’s no secret that we humans love our clothes (a bit too much). So, we do our best to support sustainable fashion brands that are less harmful to the planet (and our bodies) while feeding our closets. The problem is – many fast fashion brands have caught on and started greenwashing their business practices to fool you into shopping with them by embellishing their sustainability.  

What is greenwashing in the fashion industry? 

Greenwashing in the fashion industry refers to companies that make false or exaggerated claims about the environmental friendliness and sustainability of their products or practices. This misleading marketing tactic aims to capitalize on growing consumer demand for eco-friendly fashion while omitting the true environmental impact of a brand's operations.

How to Recognize Greenwashing in the Fashion Industry

There are, sadly, a number of common greenwashing tactics in fashion brands that you need to watch out for. 

A popular tactic among fashion brands is to make ambiguous claims or use vague terms like "eco-friendly" or "natural" without substantiation or clear definitions. If you’re not sure if a piece of clothing is sustainable or not based on its ingredient label, take a look at our in depth analysis of which fashion fabrics are best and worst for the environment to familiarize yourself with what’s healthy for our planet versus pollutants. Just like you probably understand the difference between whole foods versus processed foods, you can now also learn how to distinguish between organic versus synthetic clothing. 

A good rule of thumb is, if the source of the fabric is a synthetic material (i.e. nylon, polyester, or viscose) then it’s sourced from fossil fuels, plastic, and/or high polluting chemicals or processes, is not likely biodegradable, probably sheds hundreds of thousands of microplastics, and/or causes other environmental damages or high volumes of carbon emissions.

Selective promotion is another greenwashing method, in which a fashion brand may highlight a small sustainable collection while the majority of products use conventional, unsustainable practices. 

Misleading labels are something that many fashion brands also do to greenwash themselves. By advertising their products as organic when they are not (when you inspect the label of the products they should be labeled as organic or certified organic and if not, it probably isn’t), or using nature-related branding to create a false impression of sustainability. Alongside this, some brands will even go a step further by creating unsubstantiated certifications, such as in-house "green" certifications that have not been validated or verified by an independent third-party.

Examples of Greenwashing in Fashion

Several high-profile cases illustrate greenwashing in the industry. For example, Zara's "Join Life" collection represents only a fraction of their overall product range which is an example of the selective promotion greenwashing tactic. H&M's Conscious Collection also made headlines after the brand's scorecard system misrepresented products as more eco-friendly than they actually were. SHEIN is often featured as an example of one of the most environmentally harmful fashion brands and was also called out for greenwashing when it appointed its Head of Sustainability. Finally, several popular fashion brands are also marketing their viscose bamboo clothing for children or adults as eco-friendly since bamboo trees are a renewable resource–however they do not disclose that the toxic chemicals required to soften bamboo pulp into fabric are actually quite harmful to both workers and the environment.

Greenwashing in fashion has several negative consequences to consumers, businesses, and of course, the environment. Consumer deception misleads shoppers trying to make environmentally responsible choices. Environmental harm stems from the brands diverting attention from the urgent need for real sustainable practices in the industry. Brand reputation damage is more than likely as companies caught greenwashing may face backlash and lose consumer trust. Finally, as regulation ramps up around greenwashing, legal consequences may include increased regulatory scrutiny, fines and lawsuits against brands for false environmental claims. 

Industry Efforts to Stop Greenwashing

There are a number of efforts underway throughout the industry to stop greenwashing in fashion. In January we reported on the European Union’s implementation of new rules requiring brands to disclose their due diligence procedures, including the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) and the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD). These regulations aim to combat greenwashing and improve transparency in the fashion industry.

Other efforts include regulatory bodies or agencies like the UK's CMA that are implementing stricter standards and penalties for greenwashing. The global regulation of fashion brands is likely to be the most impactful – until the companies that are contributing the most damage to the environment are held accountable and penalized accordingly, the majority of consumers are going to continue paying the price of living on a less habitable planet Earth. 

That said, consumer awareness is growing, with educated consumers becoming more critical of sustainability claims and demanding transparency about how and where fashion is sourced. Industry initiatives include some brands adopting genuine sustainability practices and transparent reporting to differentiate themselves. 

As the fashion industry faces increasing pressure to become truly sustainable, addressing greenwashing has become a critical concern for marketers and brands alike. Genuine commitment to environmental responsibility, backed by transparent and verifiable practices, is becoming essential for fashion companies to maintain credibility and meet consumer expectations.

Read more about Sustainability Matters at Young Eden, the planet-friendly children's fashion marketplace that exclusively sells organic and sustainable fashion for your baby, toddler and kid. Learn why organic cotton is best for our children, and the environment.