This article is part of Glossy’s “Earth Month” series, highlighting the fashion and beauty brands leading in sustainability and regulatory compliance. The series explores the challenges related to sustainability, including marketing initiatives, preparing for legislation and reporting on commitments.
In the increasingly environmentally conscious marketplace, the term “greenwashing” has emerged as a critical concern. Greenwashing occurs when a company misleads consumers about the environmental benefits of a product or service.
“Greenwashing is really about marketing, which is why it’s particularly strong in the fashion industry,” said George Harding Rolls, campaign lead at advocacy organization Actions Speak Louder. “We’ve all become very concerned about the climate crisis and other environmental and social sustainability issues. The fashion industry has seen that as a huge marketing opportunity to say, ‘We can help you dilute that guilt by selling and marketing new products.’”
Now, companies are starting to see the consequences of greenwashing come to light.
For example, Action Speak Louder came out with a report on April 18 on the discrepancies between Lululemon’s production practices and the eco-conscious messaging the brand puts out. And in February, climate advocacy group Stand.earth filed a greenwashing complaint against Lululemon with Canada’s Competition Bureau. Lawsuits of this kind are expected to multiply.
“There’s a lot of looking good versus doing good tension in companies, [when it comes to sustainability claims],” said Madeline Moitozo, founder and CEO at social impact storytelling agency Juniper Media.
Legislation from the E.U., like the Greenwashing Directive enacted in March 2024, is accelerating the shift toward better communication. Marketing and ad agencies are expected to play a growing role in ensuring accurate information in brand communications. This is prompted by initiatives like the U.N.-backed global campaign Race to Zero, launched in June 2020, which encourages agencies to disclose their client lists and account for the carbon impacts of their advertisements.
Greenwashing can take many forms, from using vague and unsubstantiated claims, like “eco-friendly” and “green,” to using misleading labels and certifications that suggest a product is more sustainable than it is. For example, a brand may market a clothing line as “made from recycled materials” without disclosing that only a small percentage of the recycled material was used in the final product. But brands still need to market their products, so the question is how to do so correctly. Many are turning to greenhushing, or avoiding mention of their sustainability efforts altogether.
There are some clear directives to follow to avoid saying the wrong thing. A good rule of thumb is to prioritize transparency by clearly disclosing production processes and materials used, for example. Any claims of sustainability need to be supported by verifiable data and detailed explanations that are easily accessible to consumers through a site or blog.
“Greenwashing by corporations often occurs when there are silos and not enough conversations between the product people and the marketing people,” said Moitozo.
Obtaining third-party certifications from reputable organizations like B Corp and Climate Neutral can also lend credibility to sustainability claims in marketing. These groups assess compliance with specific environmental standards. There’s also Oeko-Tex, which certifies the source of a brand’s cotton.
Showing incremental progress around sustainability efforts and where the brand has gone wrong, in terms of marketing communications, can also help strengthen credibility. Basics brand Organic Basics, for one, updates its customers on both its sustainability improvements and struggles through an annual impact report.
For social media and e-commerce communication, clarity is key. “What it comes down to is ensuring that the messaging is clear and that you’re not overstating what you’re doing,” said Wilson Griffin, CEO at branded resale platform Recurate.
Case study: Everlane and sustainability messaging driving engagement on TikTok
Fashion brand Everlane is focusing on sustainability storytelling to avoid greenwashing in its marketing. This is being done through its impact report, which launched on Monday and is formal and scientific, as well as through its blog, product detail pages and TikTok posts.
“We have to be able to communicate to our customers in a way that they don’t need a PhD to understand the science and the metrics,” said Katina Boutis, director of sustainability at Everlane. “But at the same time, we don’t want to reduce the information so much that we start to trivialize the issues we’re focusing on.”
Boutis said it’s possible to avoid greenwashing on social media and in the blog by linking information to the brand’s corresponding certifications and avoiding broad claims.
“Everything needs to have some level of substantiation,” she said.
As an example, Everlane ran a series called “Transparency Tuesday,” for which it asked its customers and staff a series of questions about how the brand’s sustainability strategy manifests itself in its products. The series saw “great engagement”, Boutis said.
In fact, the brand’s sustainability-focused content often sees better results than other posts. This year, it created educational short-form videos for Instagram and TikTok focused on sustainability debunking and transparency. Usually, the average TikTok engagement rate for its videos is 12%, surpassing the fashion industry’s average of 5.1%. The sustainability-focused content achieved a 24% engagement rate.
Moreover, sustainability stories featured on Everlane’s Everworld blog see more than double the conversion rate of other posts, according to Boutis.
Glossy’s sustainability coverage
‘A tough sell to CEOs’: Fashion sustainability is taking a hit in the current economy
Inside the Global Fashion Summit: The impact of the EU’s regulation on fashion goods
