Last month, the ASA, the UK’s advertising watchdog, clamped down on adverts from global fashion brands Adidas, Uniqlo and Calvin Klein.
For each of the three brands, the regulator found that they had failed to provide an adequate basis for their environmental claims, and the ASA ruled against adverts which promoted ‘Recycled’ clothing ranges. It was determined that each of the brands had failed to make it clear that the products contained recycled materials rather than being wholly made from them.
However, while the case highlights a crackdown on Greenwashing by the ASA and other regulators like the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), there is still no statutory minimum recycled-content threshold for using terms such as ‘recycled’. Instead, compliance is judged on whether the average consumer is likely to be misled.
What needs to change
With no threshold currently in place, it makes it difficult for both consumers and businesses to understand what qualifies as a ‘recycled’ product.
Without clear rules, consumers can be misled by vague environmental claims, while businesses are left to interpret when a product contains enough recycled material to be marketed as ‘recycled’.
This inconsistency risks undermining trust in genuine sustainability efforts, and any changes to the rules need to encourage clarity without discouraging the use of recycled content, which can be a great way to reduce waste and promote a circular economy.
Measures which could help solve this include:
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Defining a minimum threshold before products can be marketed as ‘recycled’
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Require that any ‘recycled’ products have the content level as a percentage on any marketing materials. I.e. ‘made from 20% recycled materials’.
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A third-party verification system.
The impact of greenwashing
Greenwashing can lead to consumers losing trust in genuine sustainability initiatives. This provides an unfair market whereby companies which are working hard to reduce their environmental impact are competing against brands making unsubstantiated claims.
Ultimately, this can slow progress towards a more circular textiles industry.
Mark Hall, waste management expert at Bins.co.uk comments:
“The current regulations on recycled content in clothing are far too subjective, which opens up a range of problems. A lack of clarity makes it confusing for both customers and businesses who are genuinely trying to showcase their environmental credentials.
“Providing stronger guidelines for this specific issue would mean better consistency for brands, while building confidence for consumers. We need a system that rewards companies who are environmentally responsible without discouraging any progress towards more sustainable manufacturing processes.”