Greenwashing news and archive

Fashion Revolution on achievements in the last ten years and future needs

In the last ten years, the fashion industry has come a long way - the simple question, “Who made my clothes?” could not be answered after the collapse of the Rana Plaza building on 24th April 2013. Rescuers had to dig through the rubble looking for clothing labels to figure out which brands were producing clothes there. Even then, brands and...

Fashion

World’s largest fashion brands are using tainted cotton, says investigation

Brazil has long been under scrutiny for deforestation of the Amazon rainforest, but new research from Earthsight shows the destruction of the Cerrado biome, a biodiversity hotspot, has largely escaped notice. While efforts to address the Amazon's plight have seen some progress, deforestation rates in the Cerrado are worsening, driven in part by...

Business

Greenwashing: BRC boss warns retailers could pull back on eco-friendly practices

Helen Dickinson, the chief executive of the British Retail Consortium (BRC), has warned that a stricter approach to enforcing greenwashing regulations could cause retailers to take a step back with sustainability. Speaking to The Times, Dickinson said that there was “a real risk [retailers] will pull back and not feel confident to shout about...

Business

Judge dismisses greenwashing case against Nike

A court in the US state of Missouri has dismissed a class action lawsuit against Nike after a complainant claimed that its 'Sustainability Collection' product line does not use sustainable materials and was therefore misleading. The arguments presented in the case were not convincing enough, leading to the dismissal, the Sourcing Journal...

BusinessFeatured

Asos, Boohoo and Asda promise “landmark changes” following CMA greenwashing probe

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has reported that fashion e-tailers Asos and Boohoo, along with supermarket clothing brand George at Asda, have signed formal agreements to use “only accurate and clear green claims” moving forward as it cracks down on “greenwashing” in the sector. The move follows the CMA launching a greenwashing...

Business

European Parliament votes in favour of Green Claims Directive, but in time?

On Tuesday, the European Parliament voted in favour of the Green Claims Directive, proposed by the European Commission in March 2023, thus confirming its stance that a game-changing legal framework to eliminate greenwashing is indeed much needed. As part of the proposal, environmental claims would need to be verified by independent verifiers...

Business

Zalando plans to remove misleading sustainability labels

According to the EU Commission, online retailer Zalando has committed to removing misleading sustainability labels and symbols from its website. From 15 April 2024, the symbols, such as leaves or trees, will no longer appear next to the products on offer. This was announced by the Brussels authority on Thursday. The Consumer Protection...

BusinessFeatured

Environmental advocacy organisation files complaint against Lululemon

Canadian sportswear retailer Lululemon can't seem to leave controversy behind - after company founder stirred it with his diversity remarks at the beginning of the year, allegations concerning an ‘unwelcoming company culture’ lingered a few months ago. There was also a law suit by Nike a year ago, and not to forget the debacle with transparent...

What exactly is greenwashing?

In this background piece, FashionUnited lists what greenwashing is, how common it is and what regulations and legislation are in the pipeline. Click on the arrows in the text to find out more Contents • What is greenwashing? How common is it and what are the drawbacks? • How to recognise greenwashing and when is it indeed a case of greenwashing?...

Business

Fashion and sustainability in December 2023

Towards the end of the year, the fashion industry stepped up its sustainability efforts once again: These were discussed at the COP28 climate conference, among others, but various studies also scrutinised supposedly sustainable initiatives such as biomass and textile collections for recycling purposes. Textile-to-textile recycling received a...

Business

Several 'misleading' Primark claims scrutinised by Dutch watchdog

Earlier this year, several claims and statements from the Dutch arm of Primark came under scrutiny. The investigation was carried out by the Advertising Code Committee, which in October labelled several of the chain's expressions as misleading. Primark appealed, but to no avail. Now, the Board of Appeal has also ruled Primark's investigated...

Business

Unilever under fire for alleged greenwashing

Personal care and cosmetics giant Unilever is facing an investigation by a UK watchdog over a series of environmental claims it has made leading to greenwashing allegations. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has initiated a review into the “concerning practices” of the conglomerate, including that of “vague and broad” language, the...