The increasing amount of buzz around the word sustainability has given a rise to greenwashing. It is often seen that fast-fashion brands following unethical practices spend more money on marketing their eco collections than actually taking steps to implement ethical practices. So, let us take a look about false marketing strategies.
What is greenwashing?
Greenwashing is forging a false brand image through campaigns about their sustainable measures so that consumers are attracted to the brand and feel that they have saved the planet by buying a product. Fast-fashion brands produce a large amount of garments and then label it as sustainable. The strategy involves bombarding the idea of protecting environment through these collections. This creates a bubble for consumers to make them less guilty about excessive buying/purchase from fast-fashion brands.
What is the purpose behind greenwashing?
Sustainability is no longer about doing less harm. It’s about doing more good.
Jochen Zeitz
Sustainability is the destination so, to achieve the same brands have to take several measures, follow ethical practices to achieve a sustainable model. It takes lot of efforts to create a sustainable model. But often, fast-fashion brands portray that they have achieved sustainability within little time and advertise the same to gain attention.
There are several incidents wherein few fast fashion brands were called out for their unethical practices. So, to save their wrongdoing many fast fashion brands have adopted greenwashing as a tool to pretend to come out clean after serious incidents or after being called out by the people and media. This led to a drop in their sales so brands started greenwashing consumers with their Conscious Collections and false campaigns to project or market their so called sustainable clothes. Deceitful marketing campaigns were made in order to restore consumer’s faith in fast-fashion brands again.
Sustainable Campaigns create a false image that the fast-fashion brand has considered the problem/ unethical practice and is implementing on the same. They usually make a lot of claims as they market their products, but in reality, the implementation is either minimal or missing.
How to identify between greenwashing and sustainability?
Identifying between greenwashing and sustainability is necessary, it could be subtle or very evident. Greenwashing can be identified by few characteristics. Greenwashing may look like this:
- Ambiguous: Campaigns may just throw around some buzz words like “eco-friendly”, “green” etc., and would ignore the actual problem and create confusion.
- False claims: Fast-fashion brands can claim things like “recycled polyester” dress or so, whereas in reality it is not recycled it is just polyester fibre. Coining words or claims with no evidence is a sign of greenwashing.
- False certifications: Phrases like “certified by “some vegan website”, non-toxic, vegan are deceiving, there has to be evidence on how brands work behind the scenes. It is hard to trust phrases and certificates when the products are no different from any other brands in the market.
- Ignoring major problems: Focusing on few sustainable elements and ignoring major issues can also be a red flag. Brands will focus on different sustainable aspects and ignore the ones which they were called for.
- Plain Lying: Usually brands name garments like sustainable shirt, or dress which further do not elaborate on how it is sustainable is also one of the keys to greenwashing.
Brands who follow sustainable practices will reflect through different ways, they will demonstrate their process in unique way to reassure their claims. Specifying how they have achieved a “sustainable” range is the important when we differentiate between greenwashing and sustainability.
How can we educate ourselves and bring change?
Understanding is the key!
Buying a sustainable t-shirt would not save the planet, reusing will. Not falling for coined phrases and marketing gimmicks will get us a step closer to the truth. As consumers checking the fabric and quality of a garment can tell the truth. Buying less/ in moderation will lead to less demand and less demand will lead to less/ moderate production.
“I believe that staying informed and investing in good-quality clothing can help in long run. Awareness will help diminish greenwashing practices. Consumers need to stay informed so they do not fall prey to greenwashing. Being mindful is necessary, looking beyond labels or claims will fetch us the real image of any brand. An aware consumer can definitely spot the difference between greenwashing and sustainability.”
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