Greenwashing in the Fashion Industry
Written by Taylor Medlock
Greenwashing is a common term today, but what does greenwashing really mean in the fashion industry? Greenwashing is when a company promotes their sustainable production process but cannot prove how they are sustainable. There are so many companies that are guilty of this, and I would bet most of you have been shopping with these companies for decades without knowing they are greenwashing. The issue of greenwashing is certainly not publicized enough to the public. We need to hold these companies accountable for their actions.
The most common form of greenwashing is when a company claims to be using recycled materials to create their garments, but when it comes to proving their garments are sustainable, there is no sign of the recycled materials. H&M, Primark, and ZARA are a few of the many companies guilty of false sustainability. These three companies say they are creating garments from recycled plastic bottles, but they are only making the issue worse. The plastics being used come straight from the recycling system where they could be used many more times if they were left in the system. By these companies taking them out, they will only withstand one final use. This problem may not sound so bad, but just imagine, we could be using the same plastic bottle multiple times versus one. Think about how much plastic these companies are wasting by interrupting materials that are being recycled the proper way. You are probably thinking that their hearts are in the right place for trying to be sustainable, but the truth is they are harming our Earth even more. They are either not doing their research to understand that this action is wasting so much more plastic or simply pretending to care about our environment to make their company look better and increase their sales.
Many well-known companies are also claiming to use sustainable packaging, but they are unable to prove their sustainability. This includes stores like Shein, which ships nearly 1,000 plastic packages per day. This one aspect alone is an obvious sign that Shein is one of the top greenwashing companies in the fashion industry today. The company BooHoo, which also owns boohooMan, Nasty Gal, and PrettyLittleThing, shares only a small amount of their manufacturing information, and of course the very little information they do share only talks about their few sustainable products. This is a clear sign of a company who cannot show proof of their sustainability.
It is obvious that these companies are greenwashing just from the few signs mentioned above, which is why I am still flabbergasted as to why we are allowing them to get away with such unacceptable behavior. It seems as though most people do not care about our planet, but together we can easily solve this issue.
While many companies do greenwash, there are fashion brands who are truly sustainable and very affordable. 4ocean is just one example of a sustainable brand that I love. This company was my inspiration for wanting to create a sustainable brand myself. Another sustainable brand is Save Our Surf and this brand is much like 4ocean. Each item that is purchased removes one pound of plastic from oceans and coastlines. This plastic is then reused to make the merchandise that is sold. Malaika New York is another example of a sustainable clothing brand. This is a high end clothing brand that is zero waste and makes garments from recycled materials. This New York designer pleases customers worldwide with her unique and high-end sustainable designs. Malaika is a great option if you are in the market for good quality professional wear.
When you are looking for more sustainable shopping options, take a quick look on the web and see what sustainable evidence you can find. For example, if you go on the 4ocean website, you can watch a video where they take you on a tour of their headquarters in Haiti and explain what they do with the plastic that they remove from the oceans and coastlines. Along with the tour I will link a video of the mobile-skimmer made by 4ocean. This large machine looks almost like a tractor that can clean garbage out of the ocean. This device along with many other devices featured in this video moves throughout waterways and removes thousands of pounds of garbage.
4ocean is a company that I have fallen deeply in love with due to their commitment to take care of our planet and the transparency they show their consumers. I would definitely check out the 4ocean website for more information on how we can put a stop to the plastic crisis. The production process of Save Our Surf and 4ocean is almost identical. Save Our Surf cleans plastic from oceans and coastlines and turns this waste material into clothing items. The cleanup process of this company seems simpler than that of 4ocean simply because this is a much newer brand which is why they need our support to grow their brand and raise funds to remove more waste from our planet. Both of these companies were founded by surfers who have a passion and responsibility to take care of the place they treasure the most. These companies are proof that we can all make a difference, no matter who we are. We do not need a PhD in marine biology to take care of our planet.
For so long, I have had a dream of creating my own sustainable clothing line, much like the ones mentioned above. I want to sell good quality clothing that is fashionable, professional, and sustainable to show people that you can still buy beautiful garments without supporting wasteful, greenwashing companies. Of course I understand that these companies should feel ashamed of themselves for what they are doing but we as consumers should be the ones holding them accountable of their actions. We must stop supporting these companies because we are adding to the issue by supporting these brands and if we simply shop somewhere more sustainable, these greenwashing and unsustainable brands will have no choice but to change their ways. We as consumers must do the easy research before choosing where to shop because this small change made by even one person will make a huge impact. We as consumers hold great power over these companies, so let’s use our power for good and put an end to wasteful production and toxic materials.