Green or GreenWASHED: How to Spot Greenwashing
We are living in a world where SUSTAINABILITY is a key word spotted in almost every industry. Every generation is now looking to take part in more sustainable practices. The fashion industry plays a huge role in our global environmental impact, with landfills overflowing and capitalism pumping out mass production and consumption. If you want to take your fashion choices into the sustainable era, you need to watch out for GREENWASHING!
What is Greenwashing?
Greenwashing is when a company/brand feigns the appearance of a green and sustainable practice. This can show itself in either a claim on materials and production practices of the clothing, or in initiatives that propose to support sustainable practices.
How do you know a claim is actually greenWASHING?
Materials and production:
Green = 100% a sustainable material
GreenWASHING = partially sustainable material mixed with non-sustainable material
Green = well-made to be long-lasting and durable
GreenWASHING = poorly put together and made to be quickly thrown away (promoting the need to buy again)
Ask yourself, “Is the material truly 100% recycled, or is it mixed with a non-sustainable material like viscose? Does part of the material used result from unethical or environmentally impactful production processes?”
Initiatives:
Is the proposed initiative a Band-Aid on a bullet wound? Addressing a piece of the issue does not absolve a company from all their damage. When a company is still mass-producing poor-quality clothing and promoting overconsumption of products… they are still the problem.
Watch this!
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How to Spot/Avoid Greenwashing in Fashion
Research research research!
A good starting point starts with finding out more information. Take it one step further and read some articles about the brand.
2. Look at the materials your clothing is made of
Try a quick google search checking how sustainable the material is!
Material + 'sustainability' = 100% organic and ethically made with low production footprint
3. Look up the brand or company.
Brands are proud of sustainability statuses, so they will likely have a section on their website mapping out their practices for the prospective consumer.
4. Be aware of the fluffy language
Companies love to slip in words like eco-friendly, sustainable and green, but just using the language is not enough. Learn to be cautious and ask the important questions of a brand! Is the language sustained by the company's policies and actions?
Will this change how you think about spending? We challenge you to incorporate these 4 steps into your shopping routine!