HOW BRANDS
SHOULD
NAVIGATE
FASHION’S
GREENWASHING
CRACKDOWN

REGULATORS AND CUSTOMERS ARE
BECOMING MORE AWARE OF THIS
DAILY, SO HOW THEN DO FASHION
BRANDS NAVIGATE THE
CRACKDOWN ON GREEN WASHING?

RECENTLY, THE UK COMPETITION
WATCHDOG LAUNCHED AN
INVESTIGATION INTO SUSTAINABILITY
CLAIMS OF FAST FASHION BRANDS
BOOHOO, ASOS AND ASDA’S CLOTHING
LABEL, GEORGE, TO TACKLE THE GREEN
WASH ISSUE.

THESE CRACKDOWNS ARE PRESENTING
BRANDS WITH GROWING RISKS OF
REPUTATIONAL DAMAGE, LITIGATION,
REGULATORY CONDEMNATION AND FINES.
AND DEMANDS THAT FASHION BRANDS
CHANGE WAY THEY ADVERTISE THEIR
SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS.

WHEN A BRAND USES TERMS LIKE,
“GREEN”, “SUSTAINABLE”, OR
“ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY” THIS
GIVES THE IMPRESSION THAT THEY'RE
ON THE SIDE OF SAVING THE PLANET.

BUT ACCORDING TO THE UK COMPETITION
AND MARKETS AUTHORITY, IF BUSINESSES
FAIL TO PROVE THESE CLAIMS, THEY RISK
LITIGATIONS.
SO, FASHION BRANDS NEED TO CLEAR AND
PRECISE WITH THEIR LANGUAGE.

THE INVESTIGATION ON BOOHOO,
AND ASOS IS PARTLY DUE TO THEIR
CHOICE OF LANGUAGE. THE LABELLED
THEIR PRODUCTS AS “FUTURE
READY”, “RESPONSIBLE EDITING” AND
“GEORGE FOR GOOD” .

SO BRANDS WOULD HAVE TO COMMIT TO
RESEARCH AND PROVIDE SOME KIND OF
BASIS OR COMPARISON THAT WOULD
HELP CUSTOMERS MAKE PROPER
DECISIONS.

FOR EXAMPLE, CLAIMING THAT A
PARTICULAR TYPE OF PACKAGING CONTAINS
50 PERCENT LESS PLASTIC, OR MAKING A
PARTICULAR PAIR OF JEANS SAVED 20 LITERS
OF WATER, MEANS LITTLE TO A CONSUMER
WITHOUT A BASELINE FIGURE OR POINT OF
COMPARISON.

SO BRANDS NEED TO BE MORE
TRANSPARENT ABOUT THE PROBLEMS
AND LIMITATIONS OF ANY
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT EFFORT.