What is Greenwashing
Greenwashing is when a company markets itself to make consumers believe that it is more environmentally friendly than it really is. This can come in the form of a “green line” or using more buzz words and really makes the consumer question the legitimacy of their sustainability. Around the world, more and more people are becoming more conscious of the effect of our choices, and there is an increased demand for more sustainable options for people, and companies are trying to capitalize off this without making any changes of value.
How to Spot Greenwashing
Sometimes it can definitely be a little tricky to discern the difference between a company actually making a change and a company using “green” words as a marketing ploy. Here are a couple of things to watch out for (Plan A Academy):
Using words such as “sustainable”, “green”, “eco” without proper certifications and concrete detail. Vague wording is a greenwashing company's best tool.
Companies only talking about environmentalism during earth month
Companies only having one line of something as opposed to a whole commitment from the company
Using recycled materials without providing evidence and percentages
Fake third party endorsements
Greenwashing in Practice
For an example on how to spot greenwashing in everyday usage, below will be sample’s of two companies mission statements about their environmental and social action items.
First is Forever 21, which is a fast fashion brand that most people would probably not consider to be a sustainable or ethical choice. Forever 21 prides themselves in keeping up with trends, and in today’s view of fashion, trends come and go within weeks, constantly making shoppers feel like they need the next new item. This is an incredibly important point that brings about fast fashion demands.
Within their social responsibility, they make a few points that might seem initially intriguing to a shopper, however, most points are very general. The last bullet point from their sustainable mission statement states that they are working to develop collections with “environmentally friendly materials.” The red flag from this is they don’t state whether that is through ethical sourcing, or using recycled materials, whether that will only be one line of clothing that comes out during earth month or if they are committed to only using all sustainable materials by a certain date.
Another statement says “new Forever 21 stores include energy efficient lighting systems in order to vastly cut down on energy usage.” Again, while this initially sounds beneficial, there are no concrete goals set in place (i.e. what percentage do they want to decrease usage by? A goal date for this to be placed in every store?). This allows the company to make these generalizing statements to market themselves as environmentally friendly without holding themselves accountable in the long run.
From a labor standpoint, they don’t do much better. In their mission statement, they ensure that they are against any forced labor and are for a safe working environment but, Forever 21 is actually one of the few fast fashion companies that have not signed the Bangladesh Accord on Fire and Building Safety, which requires brands to ensure safe working conditions for employees. It also has a score of 0-10% on the Fashion Transparency Index, which documents how much about their manufacturing process is available to the public. While this type of transparency doesn’t necessarily ensure a safe and sustainable company, it does show steps to be upfront with what happens behind the scenes, and generally more sustainable companies are more transparent with their information. It is really able to show a company's values and if they are able to put their money where their mouth is. Transparency leads to accountability and change.
The second company is called Mate the Label, which is an organic cotton essentials brand. Their environmental and social mission statements are extremely lengthy, but a few highlighted examples will be included for comparison. First, for every material that they use, they go through the resources used to create it, as well as a comparison to a normal cotton item of the same variety. This is very specific and shows that the company is very conscious and particular of the items that they are using. The company even developed a rating system for themselves to keep their products accountable, taking into account things like “can a majority of the product shed microfibers” and “were over 90% of the materials grown in the ground.” Again, this emphasizes the accountability of the company. They are constantly evaluating their standards and how they can improve.
For setting goals, in comparison to Forever 21, Mate the Label sets very specific goals for the coming years. Instead of just simply stating they are aiming to be more sustainable, they have stated that they are committed to becoming certified climate neutral in 2021, as well as achieving a B corp certification in 2021. These certifications would not only back up their sustainable mission, but it offers a measurable end goal to keep themselves accountable and improving.
If you are looking for some places to start on a slow fashion journey, reading into companies’ mission statements really tells a lot about what is important to them and what goals they are trying to achieve. I also like the website Good on You to gather more info about different brands. They definitely do their research and if something is wrong, they have a way for you to submit feedback.
It’s important to note that no one is going to be demonized for owning fast fashion clothing or buying from a fast fashion company. Generally, more environmentally and socially conscious companies are quite a bit more expensive, and as college students, you have to work with what you can afford. Not everyone can drop $200 on an outfit, and that’s okay. The important message to take from this article is to be more conscious of what you buy. First and foremost, take care of what you have because the most sustainable thing is what is already in your closet.
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