Seals Often Ask the Wrong Questions

Nina Lorenzen, Vreni Jäckle, and Jana Braumüller embody the spirit of Fashionchangers.de. Their mission is easily explained: to highlight the shortcomings of the fashion industry and guide the way towards sustainability. Text: Kay Alexander Plonka. Photo: Emilie Elizabeth

Gerd Müller, the German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, has created a state seal for clothing named “Grüner Knopf”. Will this ensure improved working conditions, better environmental protection, and fair wages?

Generally speaking, it’s highly questionable whether a seal can ensure all these things. After all, it is not the seal that brings about improvements in the value chain, but entrepreneurs who are willing to take the necessary steps. As long as seals are awarded on a voluntary basis, companies that tolerate human rights violations and disregard for environmental standards will not change their practices. At the end of the day, the economy always revolves around profit. To reduce profit in order to, for example, pay people fairly isn’t an option for many. Although the “Grüner Knopf” strives to audit both the product and the company, it remains to be seen whether the 20 criteria a business has to fulfil address the right questions. Compliance with living wages is, for instance, currently not among the criteria, even though it would be essential to ensure the ethically fair production of clothing. We expect conventional companies will simply continue to launch add-on products and lines that are eligible for the “Grüner Knopf” on a standalone basis to greenwash their image. Thus, we will probably see an increase in PR measures in this context rather than real change.

Is the “Grüner Knopf” awarded on the basis of auditing supply chains on-site? Or is the certification awarded on the basis of CSR reports provided in writing?

A product is required to comply with 26 minimum social and environmental standards. However, compliance with the

Fashionchangers Nina Lorenzen, Vreni Jäckle, and Jana Braumüller strive to increase the awareness of fair fashion in the media. They combine their love of fashion with critical reflection.

product criteria can only be proven by means of existing and recognised seals. This means that it isn’t necessary to carry out an on-site inspection to award the “Grüner Knopf”. Unfortunately, we don’t yet know which seals are sufficient to obtain the “Grüner Knopf”. In addition, the “Grüner Knopf” currently only covers the production steps of cutting, sewing, bleaching, and dyeing. This means that the seal doesn’t provide information about the origin of the raw material for the garment, under what conditions it was manufactured, and how it is transported to the country of sale.

Which seals make internationally recognised environmental and social standards reliably visible to the consumer?

The jungle of seals has become a rather vexatious subject, especially as there are now relatively many that have quite different high (or even low) standards. It is important to make sure that the seals in question are awarded by independent bodies and aren’t based on the respective company’s internal assessments.