Greenwashing using sustainability as a marketing strategy without a significant positive impact on the environment has led to a pervasive lack of consumer trust in some quarters of the fashion industry (BOF, 2020a). Carbon offsetting, by which brands pay a third party to either capture carbon or avoid emitting, without reducing their own carbon footprint. While an important step in accelerating decarbonisation, the practice in isolation is viewed as an excuse to take the easy route (BOF, 2020a).
Case Studies
The UK’s advertising standards authority (ASA) warned vegan fashion brand Matt & Nat over exaggeration of its use of recycled materials (BOF, 2020b). The Norwegian consumer authority (CA) prompted H&M to more clearly communicate to consumers about the pollution it creates (BOF, 2020b).
H&M introduced its ‘Conscious Collection’ featuring leather-like Pinatex products, made from orange peelings and pineapple leaves. However, one can question Pinatex's legitimacy as 'sustainable' and 'eco-friendly' since it contains plastic and petroleum-based agents that offset any probable positive, eco-friendly impact of utilising fruit fibres and makes it non-biodegradable (Mehar, 2021; Wicker, 2020).
Theory’s Good Wool is marketing that’s easy to understand, but, “doesn’t give you a lot of detail on what ‘good’ means”. Theory does not provide footprinting metrics on its explanatory page compared to not-good fabrics, nor does it list third-party certifications (Wicker, 2020).
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