We often hear about "Greenwashing" in the last period, but we have noticed how many people are not aware of the real meaning of this word. In this article we will try to give you a definition and make you better understand how the big brands in the fashion industry use this strategy to "clean up" themselves of the dirt they have on.
GREENWASHING: WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
Literally it means "Clean yourself of Green" , it represents nothing more than a misleading marketing strategy, aimed at building a positive image of a particular brand in terms of environmental impact . The goal is clearly to attract new potential customers , sensitive to the environmental sustainability issue, trying to hide under the carpet , all those series of harmful activities for our planet , which that brand itself has been practicing for decades.
HOW IT IS USED BY THE GREATEST SECTOR
The big brands in the sector simply exploit an opportunity offered at this specific moment by the market: the growing interest of consumers in sustainability . The ultimate goal remains unchanged, as "Greenwashing" is nothing more than a stark sales strategy . There is no real interest in safeguarding the planet, the main objective remains to increase sales .
THE PARADOX OF THE COLOSSUS OF FAST FASHION
The immense use of "Greenwashing" by the most famous Fast Fashion brands, however, manages to dismantle itself , let's see how. Simply reflect and analyze their business model based on continuous assortment, rock bottom prices, global retail and weekly launches of new collections. And here we are faced with a real ethical paradox (Vero Zara, Primark, H&M, Asos, Bohoo etc ect?). Oh no dear giants of Fast Fashion, it is not enough to produce your new "Conscius" collection (made with a maximum of 10% recycled material, without even the slightest textile certification) to define itself as sustainable and try to hide all the dirt you have been on. stained during these years. There are a whole other series of environmental issues to define a Green product, but in particular do we want to talk about the social aspect ? There is no need to produce some garments in organic cotton, if then to make it are exploited workers of underdeveloped countries, or of Chinese ethnic minorities, forced to work in pitiful conditions, with ridiculous wages and even in this case without the support of a minimum social textile certification. .
HOW TO RECOGNIZE GREENWASHING AND AVOID IT
Unfortunately, we are constantly bombarded with misleading advertisements and sponsorships from fast fashion brands (and not only), and this does not allow those brands to emerge that really strive every day to find new solutions trying to make their activities less harmful to the environment. Yes, because being totally sustainable is impossible , clothing will always have an impact on our planet. And here transparency plays a fundamental role, trust only those honest brands that speak clearly to you about their sustainable strategies, that demonstrate them to you with facts and that explain to you which objectives they have managed to achieve and which not, in terms of sustainability. Always check the internal labels of the clothes, do not trust only what appears on the external tag, check if there are textile certifications and do not be afraid to ask questions and ask for information on the item of clothing in question. If you are dealing with a brand that tries to be truly sustainable , you will always get exhaustive answers .
We close this article with a very important consideration: a fashion brand that for years has polluted the environment and exploited people, will never become totally sustainable at any moment . To be able to be, you need commitment, perseverance and dedication over time. Shenty was born from day 0 with the aim of overturning the front , trying to bring as many people as possible towards sustainable fashion and the Slow Fashion model, studying strategies and solutions every day to try to lower one's environmental impact.
Thank you for coming this far and reading this vital article. See you next Tuesday for a new Shenty Blog post.