As society’s preferences have been modified by climate emergency, some brands are involving claims related to circularity and sustainability to collect and engage their potential consumers.
It is a good practice to use green claims as a value proposition, communicating good environmental practices to consumers. However, in some cases, the brands are not as green as they communicate, misleading or making false statements about their environmental credentials.
Greenwashing is the act of making false or misleading statements about the environmental benefits of a product or practice. It can be a way for companies to continue or expand their polluting as well as related harmful behaviors, all while gaming the system or profiting off well-intentioned, sustainably-minded consumers.
NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL (NRDC), 2023
There is no doubt that climate change is due to human activities, such as overconsuming or bad manufacturing habits. Reducing human activities’ carbon footprint is a worldwide emergency, and the first step to change it is communication and education.
The whole society must be aware of the real problem we are facing and would have to be educated about good practices, especially in industries such as fashion, some of the most polluting of the world. The extraction of raw materials instead of repairing, reusing, or upcycling them are some of the main problems that manufacturers have. Deadstock fabric marketplaces or softwares to improve stock management to reduce waste, are some of the best solutions that the textile industry must adopt to change that solution.
Greenwashing confuses consumers and modifies their purchasing decisions, making them choose brands whose activities are not aligned with their environmental values, undermining real efforts to reduce emissions.
February 2024, the president of the European Union and the president of the European Council have signed the new directive to enhance the former Unfair Commercial Practices (UCPD) and the Consumer Rights Directive (CRD). This directive includes the following:
- Consumers would have to be informed about more durable, reparable, durability, and their Environmental and social impact, adding this information to the list of product characteristics (UCPD).
- Comparison methods of comparing the sustainability of products would be required.
- New commercial practices would be added to the list of commercial practices banned in all circumstances:
- Displaying a sustainability label not based on a certification scheme or not established by public authorities.
- Generic environmental claims.
- Presenting requirements imposed by law on all products as a distinctive feature of a trader’s offer.
- Omitting information to the consumer about features of a product that limits its durability.
- False claims about a product’s durability.
- False claims about a product’s repairability.
- Persuading consumers to replace a product earlier than necessary for technical reasons.
- Consumers would have to be informed about longer legal guarantees (2 years) when buying products. Consumers would also have to be informed about the repairability score if this repairability score is already established for the product under EU law, or information about the availability of spare parts and user and repair manual if the producer has made such information available.
In today’s crowded marketplace, where consumers are bombarded with information, brands must stand out with authenticity. Greenwashing tactics can backfire, confusing customers and eroding trust. To combat this, fashion companies should prioritize transparency throughout their supply chain.
Here are some key actions brands can take:
- Educate yourselves: Stay up-to-date on the latest greenwashing tactics used by others, identifying them, avoiding misleading claims in your own marketing efforts, and trying to educate their consumers about this issue.
- Focus on circularity and sustainability: Integrate circularity practices into your core operations. Don’t rely solely on marketing messages to portray an eco-friendly image. Certifications like Bluesign or other kinds of information generate transparency and confidence in your consumers and demonstrate your commitment to the environment.
- Promote life cycle assessment: Consider the environmental impact of your products throughout their entire life cycle, from raw material extraction to disposal. Explore ecodesign to extend product lifespans. You can learn more about ecodesign in our asset about the EU regulation Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation.
- Embrace transparency: Communicate your sustainability efforts and goals. Partner with credible third-party organizations for verification and suppliers such as Recovo, which brings you information about the real impact of the products you are acquiring. Due to the newest regulations and consumer awareness, transparency is no longer optional; it’s essential for building trust and brand loyalty.
As circular promotion and circularity play an important role in the companies’ marketing strategies, some companies did some bad practices and started to communicate data and information that did not adjust to what their environmental impact effort really is, taking advantage of this growing circular consumer awareness that society is developing.
As organizations commit to reducing their carbon footprint and authorities regulations to avoid these practices, it is important to fight and detect those greenwashing tactics and educate our consumers to detect and avoid them.
Recovo creates circular solutions for the fashion industry. We cover various aspects of the circular economy for brands:
Based in Barcelona, we have a global mission with our websites in Spanish, English, Portuguese, Italian, French, dutch, German
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