A March 2022 report published by the Changing Markets Foundation (Licence to Greenwash), states, “The fashion sector is awash with certification schemes, sustainability labels and multi-stakeholder initiatives all seeking to steer the industry onto a greener course. As public and political awareness of the high environmental and social toll of the fashion industry has climbed the agenda, and scrutiny on brands has intensified, so has the visibility of certification schemes and voluntary initiatives pitched as holding the solutions.”

The report doesn’t so much throw shade on these important initiatives, such as The Ellen MacArthur Foundation, OEKO-TEX, and others, as it does expose how some brands are leveraging the relative lack of accountability within many of these initiatives as, the report states, “a key part of the greenwashing machinery of the modern fashion industry.”

Harsh words? Yes. One hundred percent true of all brands? No. But beneath it all, there is a significant amount of greenwashing occurring, lulling consumers into believing that based on a label alone, their purchase is aligned with their values, which increasingly include a desire to purchase truly sustainable products.