Now, more than ever, American consumers are concerned with issues such as sustainability and eco-consciousness. So when the average shopper walks into an H&M and sees that they carry a “Conscious” line of clothing, they are probably thrilled with the idea of making a earth-friendly purchase! However, conscious is by no means a regulated term, and this allows global fast-fashion powerhouse, Hennes & Mauritz, to take advantage of their customers good intentions through a process known as greenwashing.
Fast fashion can be defined as the industry of taking seasonal trends, often debuted on the runways of NYFW and PFW, interpreting the colors and shapes presented, and then reproducing the garments for the absolute lowest cost possible. Ubiquitous fast-fashion retailers are companies such as H&M, Forever 21, Target, Zara. A recent shift in the fast-fashion industry has seen such brands creating “conscious” lines of clothing, which utilize deceptive marketing tactics to trick consumers into believing that they are making more sustainable shopping choices when buying from them. However, this could not be further from the truth. These companies are manufacturing garments in developing countries, such as Bangladesh and Vietnam, with little to no environmental regulation or safe working standards. Chemicals for washing, distressing, and dying fabrics are often dumped into watersheds local to the production facilities. This means that they are able to claim that they use “partly recycled fabric”, while still imparting a disastrous effect on the environments and people involved in their production processes.
In order to combat this consumer misinformation from a policy standpoint, the United States Federal Trade Commission must enact specific standards for the use of words such as biodegradable, eco-conscious, and sustainable, in the advertising of products. This has already been done with certifications such as “Fair Trade,” and therefore should be enacted in order to ensure that American consumers are knowledgeable and accountable for their purchasing. As it is, companies are essentially lying to consumers and fooling them into thinking they are being sustainable, and that is the epitome of corporate irresponsibility and non-transparency. It is unacceptable to continue allowing bad practices such as greenwashing, and I believe that this is arguably one of the most pressing consumer issues of our time.
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