How To Avoid Greenwashing Guide Conscious Life Style 1

How To Avoid
Greenwashing
in Fashion
6 tips for brands and consumers
A guide by Conscious Life & Style

What is greenwashing?
Greenwashing is when a company or

organization overstates, misleads, or
lies about the environmental benefits of
a product, process, practice, or service.
Greenwashing in Fashion
In the fashion industry, greenwashing is often
© 2023, Conscious Life & Style, LLC
employed by Big Fashion brands — like fast fashion

labels — that want to capture a growing market of
climate-conscious consumers.
However, sometimes small and even well-intentioned

conscious brands may greenwash accidentally.
The following tips will not only help consumers spot
greenwashing, but can help conscious brands avoid
accidentally engaging in greenwashing. This guide is
not designed to shame or embarrass any individuals
or small brands, but simply offer some advice!
Disclaimer: This PDF is designed for educational purposes and is NOT legal advice.
1) Consider the Entire Life Cycle
Fast fashion brands are notorious for advertising

minimal efforts, and making it appear as if this
incremental change makes a product, collection, or
their entire brand sustainable, circular, or green.
For example, we see many fast fashion brands

marketing their clothing made from recycled polyester
and calling them "circular" fashion.
What these brands don't mention is that the clothes

will deteriorate within a few washes, shed
microplastics along the way, and that those garments
are not recyclable again. They may be using recycled
fabrics, but it cannot accurately be called "circular".
Tips for Brands Tips for Consumers
Consider if it might be more When a brand makes a large

accurate to say something claim like "most sustainable",
like "made using 50% it's likely exaggerated.
recycled materials" rather
than "fully circular". Look for the actual
information behind what
Be transparent about the makes that brand more © 2023, Conscious Life & Style, LLC
potential tradeoffs conscious or eco.
throughout the lifecycle of
a product or material. There are many variables to
consider: emissions, water
Does one material have a use, waste, pollution &
larger carbon footprint but toxicity, and labor conditions.
last longer? Does a certain
dye have a lower toxicity How is a brand addressing
but use more water? Does these elements (and others)?
one reduce waste but shed
microplastics?
How To Avoid Greenwashing | Conscious Life & Style

2) Look At The Full Picture
The fashion industry is full of sustainability claims, but

many of these claims tend to be narrow and forget the
full picture. They do not account for the whole story!
We most commonly see this in fashion with the issues of

overproduction and labor exploitation. These are the
biggest issues in sustainability today, yet very few
fashion companies are truly addressing them.
Tips for Brands:

How your product made is certainly important when it
comes to sustainability! But it's *also* important to
consider how much of it is made (though most small
brands don't need to worry about this) and how long your
products will last and be worn.
And of course, sustainability is not just about the impact

on the planet but about people too. Who is making your
clothes? Are they earning living wages? Are the
conditions healthy and safe? Do they have the right to
organize and collectively bargain? Are they happy?
Tips for Consumers:

If a brand is overproducing, pushing out clothes every
week or day, or constantly encourages their consumers
to shop "deals", you have to question if their
sustainability claims really consider their full business
model. (Hint: they probably don't!)
Also see if the brand is paying living wages, ensuring safe

conditions, and protecting worker rights.

More Tips On Considering
The Full Picture & Lifecycle
An important element of the "full picture" is the longevity

of that garment — or necklace or handbag or heels!
Plus, brands taking responsibility for what they produce

and consumers taking responsibility for what they have
purchased. Here are some questions to consider...
For Brands:
Are you producing high quality, well-designed products?
Is the piece part of a fleeting micro-trend?
What happens when it reaches the end of its wearable

life? Could you implement a repair initiative or how-to's
on your site? Could you start a resale program for your
products? Is the item recyclable or compostable?
For Consumers:
When deciding to make a purchase, consider how long
you want to or will be able to wear it for. Are you buying © 2023, Conscious Life & Style, LLC
it for the weekend or for the long-haul?
If it's just for one occasion, check if you can rent it or

borrow from a friend / family member!
Also consider if you could resell, repair, swap, or rehome

that piece years down the line. You could browse an
online secondhand platform to see a brand or item's
resale value if you're curious.

3) Make Sure The Evidence is There
The debunking of claims like "fashion is the second most

polluting industry" or "a cotton t-shirt requires 20,000
liters of water" demonstrate how much the sustainable
fashion space has relied on poor data.
*data analyzed (and debunked) in Cotton: A Case Study in

Misinformation by Transformers Foundation.
Tips for Brands:

Whenever you use data or make a claim on your site —
whether it's "this fabric uses less water" or "this practice
is less polluting", make sure that you not only have data,
but that this data is accurate and up-to-date.
You want to make sure that all claims have sufficient

evidence behind them. Otherwise, you could risk
greenwashing. (See the next page for a case study.)
Tips for Consumers:

If the claim seems a bit bold (or you're just a bit
suspicious) check if those claims are backed up with
sufficient evidence. If the brand uses numbers or other
forms of data, how are they actually gathering that
data? Where is the data from? (Is it from a biased
source?) Is it up-to-date? Is it relevant?
This would be a lot to expect from consumers to look

into for every purchase, I know! This isn't

A Case
Study In
Using
Bad Data
The Higg Material Sustainability Index created by

Sustainable Apparel Coalition scored the environmental
impact of materials, and a lot of big fashion brands (like
H&M) relied on that data and methodology for their
sustainability claims.
However, the Higg MSI came under fire for not

considering the full lifecycle of a material's
environmental impact (more on this in the next tip).
Critics also pointed out that the index used "outdated or

unrepresentative" research. (Such as using data from a © 2023, Conscious Life & Style, LLC
limited number of cotton farms and extending that to
ALL cotton produced in the world. But we know that
factors like a region's level of rainfall would drastically
impact water usage statistics.)
After H&M was warned by the Norwegian Consumer

Authority against using the Higg index in its
sustainability marketing, Sustainable Apparel
Coalition has put a pause on the index.

4) Following Legal Requirements
Isn't Enough to Market Something
as "Sustainable" or "Ethical"
For example, clothing made without toxic chemicals that

are banned in a country isn't enough to call something
sustainable. Or, shoes made in a factory that doesn't use
child labor isn't enough to be considered "socially
responsible". These types of practices are the bare
minimum and are (often legally) required.
To be clear, a lot of brands do not follow those bare

minimums. (See the reports from CBC Marketplace that
found lead in Shein and AliExpress' clothing...)
But following these legal boundaries isn't enough to tout

an environmental benefit. This may fall into
greenwashing territory for regulators like the CMA!
Tips for Brands:

If it's a required feature or legally required practice, leave
it out of your sustainability marketing. The CMA has
specifically advised against it.* © 2023, Conscious Life & Style, LLC
Tips for Consumers:

If a brand advertises that they're doing something that is
legally required (like paying a minimum wage) know
that this might be more than other brands are doing
(sadly), but that its still not something they can
claim as a sustainability benefit.
*this info is for educational purposes and is not legal advice

5) Sustainability Claims Should
Be Specific. Avoid Vague Terms!
If we trusted every advertisements, we might believe

that "sustainable fashion" is the new reality!
Digging deeper, though, we find that many of these

claims don't go very far. So how do you know when to
trust a broad claim like sustainable, natural, or green?
Well, by itself, you can't really trust it since these terms

are not standardized. It's important to look further into
the ingredients, fabrics, and/or additional information.
If you can't find further details and transparency behind

a claim, it's worth questioning.
Tips for Brands Tips for Consumers
In terms of marketing, work If a brand is using terms or

to be as specific as possible phrases but have nothing
when touting any of your behind them (i.e. no details),
sustainability credentials. then it could be greenwashing.
Avoid exaggerations, even if If you'd like, you can email © 2023, Conscious Life & Style, LLC
they sound catchy. that brand to ask for further
details. But ideally, a brand
Make the environmental should be putting up any
impact and potential relevant sustainability
benefits of your product as information publicly.
clear as possible.
Transparency is an important
Honesty is better than part of sustainability!
pretending you're perfect.
No brand or product is 100%
sustainable, and consumer
watchdogs know this.

6) Be Aware of Misleading Labels
and Imagery That Look "Green"
Sometimes a brand will put certain imagery on their

product packaging or website to make their products
look natural or eco-friendly when they are in fact, not.
Just because a tag is green, or there is a photo of a

natural landscape, that doesn't mean a brand or product
sustainable! Look for the actual information.
Many companies also use confusing icons. For example, a

recycling symbol often leads consumers to think a
product was made with recycled materials, but it might
just be that it's recyclable, and perhaps even that it's just
recyclable in certain facilities, not everywhere!
Tips for Brands:

Be mindful that any use of nature imagery or nature
icons, like a leaf, is not used in a misleading way.
Tips for Consumers:

Don't be fooled by imagery or icons alone! Check the
information about that product or brand.

In Short...
Greenwashing is complicated. Sustainability is messy.
The conversation is constantly evolving.
As a consumer: keep asking questions. And advocate

for greenwashing legislation!
As a brand: be as transparent and specific as possible,

and know that sustainability is a journey!
Below is a summary of the five tips to avoid

greenwashing (as a brand or consumer).
CONSUMERS BRANDS
1) Think about the impact 1) Consider the full
of a product's entire lifecycle impact of your
lifecycle from beginning products and explain this
to end (disposal). clearly to shoppers.
2) Consider if a brand is 2) Sustainability is about

addressing major issues the full picture, which
like overproduction and includes production levels
labor exploitation. and social responsibility.
3) Look for evidence and 3) Back up sustainability

data behind a brand's claims with accurate, up-
sustainability claims. to-date evidence. © 2023, Conscious Life & Style, LLC
4) Following legal 4) Avoid advertising

requirements or the bare practices that are legally
minimum isn't a mandated anyway.
sustainability benefit!
5) Be as specific as you
5) Look for the specific possibly can be and avoid
information. confusing terms.
6) Green imagery or 6) Avoid using misleading

icons sustainability. imagery or icons.

Additional Notes
Sustainability as a holistic effort and a journey!

Every product is going to have some sort of
impact on our environment.
Brands may work to reduce the negative

impact or to have a positive social impact or
source regeneratively grown materials.
But even if a brand is doing some really great

initiatives, it's still best for them to avoid
exaggerated (and unverifiable) claims like
"this saves the planet", "guilt-free", "fully
sustainable" or "most eco-friendly".
Brands: emphasize your journey! Share where

you are or how far you've come and lay out
your plan for how you're improving.
Consumers: know that no brand is perfect —

but there is certainly a HUGE difference
between the brands making an effort and
doing the work... and those that are not. We
share a lot of these brands in curated guides
on consciouslifeandstyle.com.

Thanks For Reading!
For more slow fashion and

sustainability resources, check out our
site, consciouslifeandstyle.com,
Follow us on Instagram
@consciousstyle,
And tune in to our show on sustainable

fashion: the Conscious Style Podcast
on your favorite listening app.
You can also watch it on YouTube!
Plus, look out for your weekly

Conscious Edit emails where I
(Elizabeth) send a roundup of news,
reads, and other resources in slow
fashion and sustainability.

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How To Avoid

A guide by Conscious Life & Style

Greenwashing is when a company or

employed by Big Fashion brands — like fast fashion

However, sometimes small and even well-intentioned

Fast fashion brands are notorious for advertising

For example, we see many fast fashion brands

What these brands don't mention is that the clothes

Tips for Brands Tips for Consumers

Consider if it might be more When a brand makes a large

How To Avoid Greenwashing | Conscious Life & Style

The fashion industry is full of sustainability claims, but

We most commonly see this in fashion with the issues of

Tips for Brands:

And of course, sustainability is not just about the impact

Tips for Consumers:

Also see if the brand is paying living wages, ensuring safe

How To Avoid Greenwashing | Conscious Life & Style

An important element of the "full picture" is the longevity

Plus, brands taking responsibility for what they produce

What happens when it reaches the end of its wearable

If it's just for one occasion, check if you can rent it or

Also consider if you could resell, repair, swap, or rehome

How To Avoid Greenwashing | Conscious Life & Style

The debunking of claims like "fashion is the second most

*data analyzed (and debunked) in Cotton: A Case Study in

Tips for Brands:

You want to make sure that all claims have sufficient

Tips for Consumers:

This would be a lot to expect from consumers to look

How To Avoid Greenwashing | Conscious Life & Style

The Higg Material Sustainability Index created by

However, the Higg MSI came under fire for not

Critics also pointed out that the index used "outdated or

After H&M was warned by the Norwegian Consumer

How To Avoid Greenwashing | Conscious Life & Style

For example, clothing made without toxic chemicals that

To be clear, a lot of brands do not follow those bare

But following these legal boundaries isn't enough to tout

Tips for Brands:

Tips for Consumers:

*this info is for educational purposes and is not legal advice

How To Avoid Greenwashing | Conscious Life & Style

If we trusted every advertisements, we might believe

Digging deeper, though, we find that many of these

Well, by itself, you can't really trust it since these terms

If you can't find further details and transparency behind

Tips for Brands Tips for Consumers

In terms of marketing, work If a brand is using terms or

How To Avoid Greenwashing | Conscious Life & Style

Sometimes a brand will put certain imagery on their

Just because a tag is green, or there is a photo of a

Many companies also use confusing icons. For example, a

© 2023, Conscious Life & Style, LLC

Tips for Brands:

Tips for Consumers:

How To Avoid Greenwashing | Conscious Life & Style

As a consumer: keep asking questions. And advocate

As a brand: be as transparent and specific as possible,

Below is a summary of the five tips to avoid

2) Consider if a brand is 2) Sustainability is about

3) Look for evidence and 3) Back up sustainability