20 members of the International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network (ICPEN) have issued a joint open letter to the fashion retail sector on the use of environmental claims in advertising and online stores. The aim of the letter is to discourage the fashion retail sector from using exaggerated, vague or unclear environmental claims to market and sell their goods.
Truthful, clear and accurate
The 20 authorities represent countries with different rules and regulations governing marketing and consumer communication. The letter clearly states that traders must make sure they adhere to applicable consumer protection laws and sector-specific statutory or regulatory requirements.
While the legislation varies from country to country, there are still certain key principles traders in the fashion retail sector should adhere to, regardless of where in the world they operate.
The use of vague and general terms can mislead consumers into believing that the industry has a lower environmental impact than it actually has. Therefore, claims should be presented in a clear, specific, accurate and unambiguous way. Traders should refrain from using vague and general claims such as “eco-friendly”, “green” or “sustainable”.
Specific claims warrant specific evidence
It is important that traders only make environmental claims when they already have sufficient evidence to substantiate them. The evidence should always be relevant to the claims, and it should cover the way the average consumer is likely to understand the marketing.
Specific, accurate claims are usually easier to document than vague, sweeping promises. For example, a claim that a trader sells recycled polyester will be easier to document than a general claim such as “green jeans”, that will require the trader to document that they have little to no negative impact on the environment through a life cycle analysis of their product.
Here and now
The letter states that traders should not present certain practices as distinctive features of the business or product when they are actually a result of legal obligations or common practices within the sector.
Also, advertising should be firmly rooted in the here and now. Instead of making unsubstantiated claims about future aspirations, companies should focus on the specific measures they have already taken or are currently undertaking.