Fashion's Environmental Footprint: Separating Eco-Smart from Greenwashing

Sustainable fashion is a mindful practice of designing, producing, and consuming products with the environment as a priority. The terms eco-friendly, and eco-smart line are often used in sustainable practice that have been seen in the fashion industry when referring to the environment, but what do they mean? What are some sustainable practices and their influences on fashion? 

The most common practice often focused on is reducing waste and encouraging responsible use. This can be limiting the amount of water used to produce and choosing to focus on quality instead of quantity. Some companies have taken a different approach to make changes with their package, eco-friendly packing using environmentally friendly materials such as biodegradable materials using little to no use of plastic. While these little changes can go a long way, it is often crucial to verify information and look into the footprint affecting the planet due to these companies. In a world of labeling and gaslighting, what may seem like a good act of deed can often be just that: a label.

Zero waste packaging for Puma. Image sourced from The Sustainable Fashion Collective

Nevertheless, companies like Changing Markets make it their duty to campaign and organize to expose irresponsible companies while promoting changes towards sustainability. Policies have failed to hold companies accountable that get away with greenwashing, overstating, and using sustainability labels without actual contribution.

 “Greenwashing lulls us into a false sense of security a smokescreen that conceals the continued exploitation of the planet and allows those responsible to get away with it,” says Changing Markets. 

Image sourced from nrdc.org

On the long list of companies accused of greenwashing, a few popular ones are Adidas, Uniqlo, Asos, and Nike.

Uniqlo, a Japanese-owned clothing brand, has been called out for burning clothes made with fossil fuel, which can release more pollutants in the environment. Meanwhile, Adidas claims they reused already processed recycled polyester and turned them into new garments. However, it’s not possible to use recycled polyester after it has been processed. 

Storefront of Japanese-owned clothing brand, Uniqlo. Image sourced from Google images.

The bottom line is while climate change and personal footprint continue to be a center of conversation, some companies will continue to greenwash their customers in the name of helping the environment. It begs the final question: how does culture influence fashion? The continued trend in sustainability practice since its first use in the 1990s proves consumers are always right. The influence of buyers on companies created a demand for them to be aware of how they do business, especially with today's generation facing climate change. Everyone is working hard to play a role and be held accountable for their actions. Fashion companies are not required to verify their sustainability practices however, transparency with customers does change the way business is operated. It's up to buyers to determine who they invest in.