Introduction
Demand for sustainable fashion has grown tenfold in recent years as the public becomes more conscious of the planet. In order to access this growing market, brands have started promoting their products as “eco-friendly” or “sustainable,” branding themselves as a less guilty counterpart to fashion brands. And yet not all of these claims are true. And brands do a bit of greenwashing (trying to get the consumer to believe that their product is green when it’s not).
That’s polyester, the most widely used synthetic fabric on Earth. Polyester is strong, multifunctional and cheap, but it’s not without an environmental cost. Because polyester manufacturers have been pressed to look greener, some greenwash to cash in on the eco-frivolity, even as they’re trying to change their behaviour.
This blog post is going to talk about recognizing greenwashing in polyesters. Let’s explore the most common ways that companies misrepresent their polyester products as green and offer you some tips to make a better, healthier decision.
1. How Greenwashing Happens in Fashion Industry.
- What is Greenwashing?
Greenwashing : is an act of deceiving customers regarding the environmental attributes of a product or service. Greenwashing companies can use words like “eco-friendly,” “green” or “sustainable” and nothing like actual facts behind their claims. It is a misleading marketing ploy that attempts to project a sense of green sustainability without actually attempting to make a difference in the way the product has the potential to effect the environment.
Greenwashing is a very prevalent practise in the fashion world as sustainability has taken off as a primary consumer demand. But supply chains are complicated and standards for “sustainable” aren’t set so brands often over-hype or misrepresent the eco-status of products.
Textiles are especially vulnerable to greenwashing as the textile industry has lots of things (polyester, for example) that harm the environment – microplastic pollution, water and energy consumption, inability to degrade. But with the hype of sustainable fashion and the need for eco-friendly products, many companies have spoofed their polyester garments without even radically changing how they’re produced or their raw materials.
- Why Is Greenwashing So Common in the Polyester Market?
Polyester is an artificial fabric, and is very environmentally unfriendly. It takes a lot of energy to produce and, because it comes from petroleum, it’s linked to fossil fuel depletion. Polyester garments also lose microplastics during the wash, adding to the huge volume of pollution our oceans and waterways. All of these environmental effects have generated a demand for renewable alternatives.
But the polyester industry’s flurry of “green” statements doesn’t always get to these problems. Manufacturers would prefer to cash in on the demand for sustainable alternatives but they don’t address the more substantial environmental issues associated with polyester manufacture. What’s more, there are no defined sustainable materials in fashion, which means manufacturers can market products as “green” without the rigor that would demand real ecological shift.
As a consequence of this, many polyester companies have started to sell their products as “eco-friendly” but without demonstrating that they do. What’s more, because there’s no unified sustainability benchmark for textiles, it’s easy for companies to fake the numbers on their products and not take responsibility for environmental challenges.
2.Reliable Greenwashing Techniques Used in Polyester Marketing.
- Vague Sustainability Claims
This is probably the greenwashing tool that gets the most abuse: it is making some empty, unsubstantiated sustainability argument. “A lot of companies will sell “eco-friendly,” “green,” or “sustainable” polyester, and yet they never define what those terms are or offer proof to show why they are so. These slogans are meant to ring a bell about eco-responsibility, but don’t really specify anything.
For instance, a company might promote a polyester dress as “green,” but do not tell you if it is made of recycled materials, made from renewable energy, or durable. This is insubstantial if the company doesn’t offer up the life of the product — the raw materials to the disposal end of life.
The trouble with equivocal sustainability claims is that consumers are hard-pressed to check them. A word such as “green” is a catch-all, an umbrella that conceals many different practices, some of which are even ecologically indecent. In the absence of facts, these assertions seek to ride on the current uptick in demand for green clothing without really doing their bit to mitigate the product’s environmental footprint.
- Misleading Labels and Certifications
A second staple greenwash is obfuscated labels and certificates. There are certifications such as “organic,” “recycled,” or “eco-friendly” on polyester products that brands put on, but these are often misleading. Certifications are self-generated or not validated by a third party, and are therefore not good guides to a product’s sustainability.
A company, for instance, might advertise that its polyester shirt is “recycled” but not mention whether it’s produced from post-consumer recycled waste (eg, plastic bottles) or post-industrial scrap. Even if the item is only half-recycled or manufactured from substandard plastics, it will leave a huge footprint. And they could use terms such as “eco-friendly” or “organic” on products that are remained dominated by traditional polyester without making serious mention of much larger environmental issues such as microplastic pollution.
What’s so problematic about these false certifications is that they give consumers the illusion of peace of mind when it comes to sustainability. They might believe that the product is better for the environment than it is, and so they make choices that are causing environmental damage.
- Recycled Polyester (rPET) Claims
Recycled polyester (rPET) is sold as a substitute for virgin polyester but it can be used as greenwashing equipment. It’s common for companies to say that they produce polyester from recycled plastic bottles or other recycled products to sell you the eco-friendly product. There are environmental advantages of recycled polyester (like diverting plastic from landfills), but it is far from ideal.
Often the polyester is recycled with poisonous chemicals, and rPET still takes a lot of energy and resources to make. What’s more, polyester fibers are not recycled and there’s no solution to microplastic contamination. rPET clothing still contains microplastics when washed and continues to be an environmental problem just like virgin polyester.
And other companies might use only a tiny fraction of recycled polyester in their products, and can therefore make misleading statements about the sustainability of their product. Genuine polyester sustainability is not only a matter of recycled material but also microplastic shedding, chemical avoidance and an upgraded recycling infrastructure.
- Overstating Eco-Friendly Attributes
Aside from unstated claims and fake certifications, brands hogwash about the sustainability of their polyester fabrics. For instance, they may market clothes as “low-carbon” or “water-efficient,” but no facts or scientific proof are offered.
We can see this strategy in things such as “no toxins dyes” or “reduced water consumption” on polyester packaging. A shift towards more sustainable dyes or better water use is good, but brands don’t give you figures or product transparency. Even such assertions don’t matter if there is no data to show a reduction in carbon emissions, water use or environmental pollution.
Brands are painting a false sustainability picture by improving on individual small details rather than the environmental damage caused by polyester production as a whole. It is their way of leveraging the market for sustainable fashion without making the kind of more complicated and expensive changes that are needed to resolve the root environment concerns with polyester.
3. Greenwashing on Polyester Fabrics – How To Find It?
- Look for Third-Party Certifications
If you want to identify polyester products with greenwashing, it’s best to look for credible third-party certs. These external certifications are very important, as it makes a product pass a number of sustainability measures, which are tested by third parties such as auditors or companies. When we can trust third-party benchmarks, we can be more sure that the product really is green, instead of being led astray by brand claims.
Here are a few certifications you should be on the lookout for when shopping for polyester products:
Global Recycled Standard (GRS):
GRS: This is an internationally accepted accreditation that checks recycled material in a product. It also monitors the company’s social and environmental activities. In the case of polyester clothing, a GRS certificate assures that the fabric will contain a percentage of recycled polyester (from plastic bottles or post-consumer waste). It also makes sure that the recycling is done according to environmental regulations and the polyester recycling is as ecologically benign as possible.
Fair Trade Certified:
Fair Trade Certification is not just about the environment, it is also about social responsibility. A polyester item must be Fair Trade Certified – meaning that it has to meet minimum standards for pay, workplace safety, and safe labor practices throughout the supply chain. This certificate guarantees that workers whose employment is in the production of polyester clothing are treated fairly and safely. This certification is not directly related to the environment, but it does point out that the brand is very serious about sustainability, social and so on.
OEKO-TEX Standard 100:
OEKO-TEX is a international certification and testing system for textiles that exclude toxic chemicals. The OEKO-TEX Standard 100 label promises the polyester material has passed tests against more than 100 harmful chemicals and is not harmful to human beings. While it doesn’t directly touch the environment of polyester, this certification is useful for identifying if the product does not have toxic materials, a huge factor in sustainable fashion.
Discipline-Based, Evidence-Based Criteria Are More Crucial Than Self-Funding:
Third-party certifications can serve as an external, independent measure of sustainability but brand claims of “eco-friendliness” for their products are vague and unproven. There is little in the way of clear, quantifiable metrics backing these up: such as the “green,” “eco-friendly,” or “sustainable” statements. The importance of looking for third party certifications will help the customer be sure the sustainability claims aren’t marketing hype. Independent certs make sustainability transparent, responsible and credible — three of the most important things to separate sustainability from greenwashing.
- Be Transparent with Supply Chains: Always look for transparency in supply chains.
Supply chain transparency is another factor for identifying greenwashing in polyester. A truly sustainable brand will have transparency on where and how their materials are produced, how their products are manufactured, and how their business is environmentally friendly in general. Greenwashing brands, however, don’t disclose much or anything about their supply chains, so customers can’t know what their products really have done to the environment.
What to Look For:
Sourcing Information:
A sustainable brand will mention where the raw materials came from, like the location of the polyester fibers or whether the fabric was made from recycled sources. : Companies advertising recycled polyester in their packaging but not identifying from where or how the material came from might be greenwashing.
Manufacturing Practices:
Companies should be open about how their products are made – how they are manufactured, how much energy they use, how much water they use, and how they dispose of waste. It’s much easier to see who is doing what and when in the same way when a company is describing how they manufacture. Brands that are secrecy about their production process or do not disclose a great deal about them, by contrast, may be trying to escape scrutiny.
Environmental Footprint:
A green brand will speak up to show it is trying to minimise its carbon footprint, its waste, or water usage. However, greenwashing companies may not have any data to demonstrate the sustainability of their polyester clothing – only a few loose platitudes or words such as “low impact” with no actual data.
Transparency’s role in resisting greenwashing is not overrated. When a brand is upfront with the supply chain, consumers can choose their products based on actual data and not just empty promises. What’s more, transparent brands become more accountable to consumers, the environment, and regulators.
- Review Product Labeling Promises: Check Product Label Promises!
Labels are the very first contact that a brand has with consumers for its sustainability message. But you have to look carefully at the words on those labels. Greenwashing comes in the form of empty unproven statements that sound green, but don’t mean anything. Consumers will have to be able to evaluate the advertising on labels and ensure that they’re not being misled.
Learn the Fine Print on Labels and Product Descriptions:
When you read labels and product information, make sure you are looking for quantifiable promises. A label indicating “made from recycled polyester”, for instance, needs to mention what percent of the garment is recycled material and where that material came from. Anything that is “eco-friendly” should be specific about how it was environmentally friendly — it could be made of renewable fibers, it could have been manufactured using less water, it could have been produced with renewable energy.
Alert: Inchoate Language, Spikes and Lack of Concise Environmental Impact Data:
Beware of phrases like “green,” “eco” or “sustainable” with no further context. These are buzzwords that are deployed to make people emotionally connect but not to reveal any verifiable information about the product production process or the environmental footprint. Also be suspicious of promises of the impossible, like “100% sustainable polyester” which is extremely remote due to the very natural environmental problems with polyester production.
Non-disclosure of detailed environmental impact data is a second big red flag. Having a brand, for instance, tell you that its polyester clothing is “low-carbon” or “water-saving,” and without the actual numbers or independent testing, those words have no purpose whatsoever. People should be looking for products that have measurable metrics like how much carbon is saved, how much water is used, or how much waste is reduced during production.
- Explore the Brand’s Overall Environmental Policies.
You can find out whether the brand is greenwashing by measuring how sustainable they as a whole, not just by their individual product claims. If a brand is ‘green’ but is still doing the same thing every day in its business, they are greenwashing. But, on the other hand, a brand that makes sustainability a central part of their business from product design through manufacturing to end-of-life disposal will probably be working for real environmental integrity.
What to Research:
Carbon Footprint Reduction:
Look for if the brand is doing something to lower its carbon footprint. Aim for green brands: sustainable brands can also aim to cut greenhouse gases from the point of origin, transportation and production. Brands that do not talk about carbon footprint or climate action goals are probably not so committed to sustainability.
Use of Renewable Energy:
Be sure to check if the brand uses renewable power sources like wind or solar in the production process. Brands that manufacture with fossil fuels are playing their part in the environmental problem with polyester, regardless of the fiber.
Commitment to Reducing Plastic Waste:
All the brands are now responsible for the plastic from their products, even polyester clothes. Others have take back programs for recycled goods or take back programs to cut down on textile waste. Companies that don’t cite plastic recycling or other measures to help address plastic waste might not be doing their bit.
Sustainability Purposes and Business Models:
In the end, a brand’s sustainability promises need to be in sync with its business. A company that says its polyester clothing is recycled, for instance, and continues to dump plastic or emit carbon dioxide isn’t really sustainable. Do your research about the brand’s wider environmental practices and make sure it embeds its sustainability initiatives into every part of its operations.
4.Greenwashing of Polyester Instances
- Example of Greenwashed Polyester Products Case Studies.
In the polyester industry, greenwashing is rife, where we can be told that the fabric is sustainable, or the process to produce it is sustainable, or the finished product has an environmentally friendly final product. We review two polyester greenwashing case studies to understand how brands are trying to get consumers to think that their products are more sustainable than they really are.
Example 1: A Company Saying it Uses “100% Eco-Friendly Materials” in Polyester Dresses Without mentioning Materials or Providing Sustainability.
A greenwashing tactic we see a lot is using vague, undefined terms such as “eco-friendly” or “sustainable”. Companies might tell us that their products are made of 100 percent eco-friendly materials but these promises are usually opaque and lack the proof of the material’s true ecological benefits.
The Claim:
One big apparel company advertises its polyester garments as “100% eco-friendly.” The marketing claim is that the clothing is “environmentally friendly” and “green,” and therefore for eco-conscious buyers. But even if you read further, you are left with almost no description of where the polyester came from or how it was processed. There is nothing on how the stuff was produced, or what power they consume, or how much water they need, or what chemical it has been through.
The Greenwashing Tactic:
This is classic smoke-and-mirrors for insinuating sustainability with no hard evidence to support it. The “100% eco-friendly materials” claim is deceptive because the “eco-friendly” definition is vague and a subjective one. Lacking definitions or third-party certifications to confirm brand claims, consumers can’t decide whether the product really is sustainable. There is no information available about where the material comes from, how it is produced, and the lifecycle of the products so we cannot really know what the true ecological impact of the polyester used to make these clothes is.
Why This is Greenwashing:
In a nutshell, these statements say absolutely nothing about the ecological footprint of the garment. The “eco-friendly” label can mean any kind of practices or materials, and most of the time it’s a catchphrase used to grab your heart strings without any actual proof. Any true sustainability would include transparency from raw material procurement through manufacturing to disposal or recycling. If the brand doesn’t supply these facts, then its promise is a blank marketing claim.
Example 2: Polyester Clothing Claimed to Be “Sustainable” Because It’s Composed of Recycled Plastic Bottles Without Addressing the Chemical Processes or Pollution Risks Without Controlling Them.
The recycled material — especially recycled plastic bottles (rPET) — is also advertised as an eco-friendly alternative to virgin polyester. Though plastic bottles can be recycled into clothing might seem like a green practice, it’s possible to misunderstand exactly how green it really is.
The Claim:
One famous clothing retailer advertises a collection of polyester items that are constructed from “100% recycled plastic bottles.” The advertising touts the eco-friendliness of recycled plastic, by diverting garbage from landfills and avoiding new plastic production. This process is “eco-friendly” and “low in plastic emissions,” according to the company, making the clothes a greener alternative to standard polyester.
The Greenwashing Tactic:
Recycling plastic bottles to produce polyester fibres is a welcome reduction in plastic waste, but it is not for free. Most brands don’t even touch the full picture of the impact of recycling plastic. Recyclation itself uses a lot of energy and water, and in many cases chemicals to convert the plastic into useful fibres. Even recycled polyester still leaves microplastics behind when washed and gets polluted by the ocean.
Why This is Greenwashing:
The brand’s advertising talks about one good (recycling of plastic bottles), without even talking about the environmental price of recycling. When the brand mentions only one side of the sustainability story, but does not describe the whole life of the garment, it is greenwashing. A truly sustainable system would use not just recycled products, but also the energy, water and chemicals spent in the recycling process and the long-term environmental effects of the finished product.
- Media and Influencers: What They Do To Greenwash?
There’s an immense power of media and influencers when it comes to the way people buy, especially sustainable fashion. Some influencers and journalists are real proponents of sustainable ways but some do nothing but perpetrate greenwashing, often with little awareness of the full extent of the lie. Fashion isn’t new to inflating shoppers through media advertising and social media influencers, so it’s becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish true sustainable brands from those that profit off of eco-friendly hype.
Greenwashing Strategies Distributed Through Influencers and Media Campaigns:
Influencers, bloggers, and fashion blogs are used as partners or paid for ads for the brands. These influencers are generally massive followers and can have the power to influence their followers. The truth is, many influencers don’t have the expertise to evaluate whether the sustainability claims they make are real, or are paid to endorse products in exchange for income.
For instance, a famous influencer might tweet a “sustainable” polyester item, and post about the company without checking whether the company has sustainability policies. The influencer can point to recycled polyester, or the eco-friendly branding of the company without questioning if it was manufactured in an environmentally friendly way. When they do so, the influencer actually disseminates greenwashing allegations to thousands or even millions of fans.
Figures of Influencers Promising “Responsible” Polyester Without Asking if They’re Really Claiming It:
Think of a fashion blogger pushing a brand’s “sustainable” polyester jacket made from used plastic bottles. The influencer posts the brand’s story about avoiding plastic pollution and making a difference. But they leave out the energy-intensive recycling of plastic, or the fact that recycled polyester is still microplastics. When an influencer describes a product as “eco-friendly”, without any context or a challenge on the brand’s sustainability, they are sharing a false story.
Influencers might even promote polyester clothing marketed as “vegan” or “cruelty-free” (as in ecologically sustainable). But these labels ignore the environmental effects of synthetic fibres such as polyester, which emit a lot of carbon and get polluted with plastic waste and microplastic shedding.
Why This is Greenwashing:
And when influencers promote “sustainable” polyester products without checking the legitimacy of the brand behind the claim, they become passive members of the greenwashing fray. The influencer’s or media outlet’s authority supports the brand’s assertions (even if those assertions are illusory). That’s greenwashing because the adverts highlight selective environmental concerns but don’t account for or even diminish the larger, more invasive impacts of polyester production.
5. How Consumers can Make Educated Decisions.
- Learn about Sustainable Fabrics You Know Nothing About.
The first thing you need to know about fashion is how the materials are made. The world doesn’t have to be one big blanket, and polyester has its own unique ecological concerns to keep in mind. By learning more about the types of fibers like organic cotton, hemp, recycled polyester and bio-based polyester, you can start shopping greener.
Learn More About The Greener Choices for Polyester Over Other Fabrics:
Polyester is extracted from fossil fuels and consumed with a great deal of energy, water and chemicals. It’s a plastic fabric, in other words it’s part of the world’s plastic pollution problem and also sheds microplastics when you wash it. Natural fibers, by contrast, such as organic cotton or hemp, are usually more sustainable, if grown sustainably. Recycling polyester (rPET) might reduce plastic pollution, but both the environmental impact of recycling and the continued shedding of microplastics remain problems.
And if you know what the actual footprint of different fabrics really is, you can make better choices as a consumer, purchasing environmentally friendly fabrics wherever possible.
- Use Brands with Track Record Proven.
As a consumer, buying from brands with a sustainability record is one of the best ways to do good in the fashion world. Consider brands that have always been environmentally aware, from sourcing to production to end-of-life garment care.
Consumer Rights and Building Companies That Share Your Values: The role of Consumer Advocacy and Helping Businesses That Accord With Your Core Values:
When you purchase brands who have a real environmental impact in their work, you create demand for responsible, sustainable fashion. Lastly, the consumer voice (social media, direct communication with the brand, online reviews) can encourage companies to become more transparent and sustainable.
- Ask Questions and Demand Openness.
Do not be afraid to ask brands what they are doing to be more sustainable, and insist on it. Whether email, social media or customer service, when people inquire about a brand’s content, manufacturing techniques, and sustainability initiatives, it will get them to take more responsibility.
Taking Brands To Court: Use Social Media to Make Brands Pay:
On social media, consumers have been empowered to complain and compel companies to live up their sustainability promises. So if a brand is claiming to be sustainable in a way that’s dubious, consumers can turn to their channels to expose these contradictions, request clarification and demand answers.
Yashvi Jain, a writer by day and reader by night, is an accomplished content writer and published author of ‘Mind Under Construction. Yashvi possesses extensive knowledge of fabrics, sustainability, and literature. On occasions, you would catch her scripting for her YouTube channel, engrossed in fiction, or ardently dedicating her time to research and storytelling.