How the Fashion Industry Sells Sustainable Lies.

Image Source on Pinterest: @ Astrogrl

In recent years, the fashion industry has embraced the language of sustainability. Trendy words like “eco-friendly,” “conscious,” and “carbon neutral”  now appear across campaigns, labels, and mission statements. But behind the recycled paper tags and soft green-colored lies is the hard truth: much of this is a performance. While the industry speaks the language of change, its actions continue to tell a different story. Greenwashing– when brands exaggerate or fabricate environmental claims to appear more sustainable than they are– has become the norm, and it’s slowly eroding consumer trust while delaying the urgent systemic changes our planet desperately needs.

Image Sourced on Pinterest

Fast fashion giants are some of the worst offenders. Brands like H&M and Zara launch “sustainable collections” made from recycled polyester or “organic cotton,” while simultaneously churning out thousands of new styles each week. In 2021, Changing Markets Foundation reported that 60% of sustainability claims by major fashion brands were misleading. 

What makes greenwashing so harmful is its emotional manipulation. Consumers want to do better. They want to shop with a conscience. So when brands promise that a T-shirt is “made responsibly” or that buying a tote bag can “plant a tree,” it gives people a false sense of ethical participation. But these claims are often vague, unverifiable, or just untrue. According to a 2022 European Commission investigation, more than half of green claims in the EU lacked evidence. This is not just misleading—it’s exploitative.

Meanwhile, the real cost of fashion continues to be paid by underpaid garment workers, polluted waterways, and landfills overflowing with discarded clothes. Brands talk about “circularity” while designing garments that are impossible to recycle due to mixed fibers and chemical treatments. This smokescreen of sustainability allows companies to maintain business-as-usual practices under this problematic progress.

Image Source on Pinterest: Edited by Devon Kitt

If the fashion industry truly wants to move toward sustainability, it must first embrace transparency. This means full disclosure of supply chains, honest reporting of environmental impacts, and a commitment to reducing overproduction. Independent certifications—like GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) or Fair Trade—must become standard, not optional. Most importantly, consumers must be educated to read beyond marketing slogans and question the real impact of their purchases.

Image sourced on pinterest

We are not powerless. Consumer demand has already pushed brands to acknowledge sustainability, even if only superficially. Now, it’s time to demand depth over decoration. Greenwashing is not just a marketing flaw—it’s a moral failure. Fashion has the potential to be a force for good, but not until it stops selling us sustainable lies and starts embodying real change.

Sources:

Changing Markets Foundation, “Synthetics Anonymous” report, 2021

Vogue Business, “Can Fashion Ever Really Be Sustainable?”, 2023

The Guardian, “Greenwashing in Fashion: The Truth Behind the Labels,” 2022