Spotting Greenwashing
If a brand uses the word 'sustainable' more than 5 times on a homepage, take a second look. Greenwashing — pretending to be eco-friendly without actually being eco-friendly — is now bigger business than real sustainability.
What greenwashing looks like
Greenwashing is when a brand uses marketing to look environmentally responsible without making the changes to back it up. The term was coined in 1986 by environmentalist Jay Westerveld after he noticed hotels asking guests to 'save the planet' by reusing towels — while the hotel itself was demolishing reefs.
In fashion, greenwashing usually shows up as:
- Vague words: 'eco-friendly,' 'natural,' 'conscious,' 'planet-positive.' None of these have legal definitions. - Green colors and leaf graphics on packaging. - A 'conscious' or 'eco' collection that's less than 1% of the brand's revenue. - Vague carbon claims: 'we offset our emissions' (with what? verified by whom?). - Hiding bad practices behind one good story (a brand bragging about recycled cotton in one shirt while using virgin polyester in 95% of their range).
10 red flags every shopper should know
Here are the signals to watch for:
1. Words with no definition: 'eco,' 'green,' 'natural,' 'sustainable.' 2. No third-party certifications listed (GOTS, Fair Trade, B-Corp, OEKO-TEX). 3. A 'conscious collection' that's a tiny slice of total inventory. 4. Carbon claims with no audited number. 5. 'Recycled' fabric with no percentage given. 6. No information about factories or wages. 7. Sustainability page that's all photos of nature, no data. 8. 'Vegan' marketed as eco-friendly (vegan leather is often plastic). 9. Press releases instead of impact reports. 10. Suing or pressuring critics. (Yes, this happens. Often.)
If a brand hits 5+ of these, you're looking at a marketing strategy, not a sustainability strategy.
Case study: H&M Conscious Collection
In 2019, H&M launched its 'Conscious Collection' with great PR — clothes made from recycled polyester and organic cotton. The collection got covered everywhere as proof that fast fashion was changing.
Then the Norwegian Consumer Authority looked into it. They found H&M's environmental claims were so vague they were misleading. H&M couldn't actually prove the items were more sustainable than its regular line. The Conscious Collection itself was a tiny fraction of H&M's total output. The same brand was producing around 3 billion garments a year, including thousands of new fast-fashion styles each season.
H&M wasn't lying outright. They were doing what greenwashing always does: making one true claim very loudly while a much bigger, opposite truth sits quietly in the background. 🌿
How to actually check a brand
Before you buy from a brand that calls itself sustainable, do a 60-second check:
1. Look for certifications. GOTS, Fair Trade, OEKO-TEX, B-Corp, Cradle to Cradle. These are independent. If there are none, that's a flag. 2. Find a number. A real impact report has tonnes of CO2, percent of suppliers paying living wages, percent of materials recycled. Not just photos. 3. Search '[brand name] greenwashing' or '[brand name] criticism.' Read what journalists and watchdogs have said. 4. Check apps like Good On You — they grade brands A to E based on labour, environment, and animals. 5. Look at price. A $5 t-shirt cannot be ethical. Cotton, dye, sewing, shipping, and a fair wage cost more than $5.
Doing this on every purchase is exhausting. But doing it once for the brands you buy most often will reshape years of shopping.
Key takeaways
- Greenwashing = pretending to be eco-friendly without being eco-friendly. Coined in 1986.
- Vague words ('eco,' 'natural,' 'conscious') without certifications or numbers are the #1 red flag.
- H&M's Conscious Collection was officially called misleading by Norwegian regulators.
- Real sustainability = third-party certifications + auditable numbers + supply chain transparency.
- The Good On You app grades brands A–E on labour, environment, and animal welfare.
Try this
Greenwashing scavenger hunt
Pick 3 fashion brands you know. Visit their websites. Count how many times they use the words 'sustainable,' 'eco,' 'conscious,' or 'green.' Then count how many actual numbers (tonnes of CO2, % recycled, etc.) they share. The ratio of words to numbers tells you a lot.
Good On You brand check
Download or visit the Good On You website. Look up 5 brands you wear most. Note their grade (A–E) and the reasons. Were any surprising? Pick the lowest-rated one and find a higher-rated alternative for your next purchase.
Spot the spin
Find a 'sustainability page' from any major fashion brand. Read it slowly. Highlight every claim. For each, ask: is this measurable? Is there a third party verifying it? What % of the brand does this apply to? Most pages survive 60 seconds of this and collapse.
Which of these is the BIGGEST red flag for greenwashing?
Vague language with no certifications and no audited numbers is the textbook greenwashing pattern. Real sustainability claims are specific, measurable, and verified by independent organisations like GOTS, Fair Trade, OEKO-TEX, or B-Corp. Pretty graphics and high prices alone don't tell you anything either way.