1 minute read
Gould
Greenwashing the Fashion Industry: Don 't Let These Brands Fool You!
written by Lauren Gould
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What is greenwashing?
Green washing is when a brand uses environmental language to market their brand or products without actually taking steps to becoming more sustainable. At this moment, sixty percent of large fashion brands who claim to use sustainable practices are actually participating in greenwashing. It is important to know how to spot greenwashing in order to make a change!
How do I spot greenwashing
Oftentimes, the brand uses terms such as “eco friendly” , attempt to give the appearance that they care about the environment, but it is only a marketing tactic.
Common Fashion Industry Culprits
1. H and M- a brand notorious for greenwashing
H and M makes false claims of being environmentally sustainable. Looking at their website, they state that, “To qualify for a green hang tag, a product must contain at least 50% sustainable materials, such as organic cotton and recycled polyester — but many of our garments contain more than that. The only exception is recycled cotton, which can only make up 20% of a product due to quality restraints” . Doesn’t look so green now, does it?
A brand known for grossly low prices that don’t pay workers fair wages. SHEIN attempts to use vague language to trick buyers into thinking they are making a smart choice. One article even states that, “There are tens of thousands of styles on the retailer’s site, and each day, about 1,000 more are added” . This means that while SHEIN is busy tricking consumers into buying more products, the environment and workers are paying the price.
Takeaways
Become an informed consumer! Websites such as goodonyou can easily be used to show the true environmental cost of what you are buying!
Sources
https://www.edie.net/news/7/Report--60--ofsustainability-claims-by-fashion-giants-aregreenwashing/
https://www.vox.com/thegoods/22573682/shein-future-of-fast-fashionexplained
https://us.shein.com/campaign/csr
https://goodonyou.eco
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/03/books/re view/how-fast-fashion-is-destroying-theplanet.html
