Google “greenwashing,” and you’ll find something like 25 million hits. According to Investopedia, “Greenwashing is the process of conveying a false impression or providing misleading information about how a company’s products are more environmentally sound. Greenwashing is considered an unsubstantiated claim to deceive consumers into believing that a company's products are environmentally friendly.”

In July of 2022, earth.org called out 10 companies and organizations for greenwashing. Not surprisingly, the fossil fuel industry topped the list, but fashion did not escape. Fast fashion brands H&M, Zara, and Uniqlo were specifically called out, but the industry as a whole was chastised for overproduction of clothing, 80% of which, according to the fashion nonprofit Remake, ends up being burned or put into landfills. And the brands don’t seem to be taking any responsibility for that travesty.

The UK, which was at one time a leading manufacturer of textiles, is working to rebuild the industry there on a sustainable basis, and has established a government agency as a watchdog. Most recently, the Competition & Markets Authority has launched investigations into ASOS, Boohoo, and George at Asda over fashion green claims. While this is a UK investigation, it does have global ramifications, in that those companies sell to a global audience, and what ultimately happens in the UK may force them to make global changes. Or not. Hard to tell. The agency has also developed a Green Claims Code to help both manufacturers and consumers to check whether environmental claims are genuinely green.