Fashion greenwashing: investigation into ASOS, Boohoo and Asda
The CMA has opened an investigation into 3 fashion brands to scrutinise their 바카라 사이트榞reen바카라 사이트� claims.
Sector-specific guide for fashion businesses
18 September 2024: We have published a compliance guide to help fashion businesses stay on the right side of consumer law when making environmental claims. The guide draws from the conclusions of this investigation and builds on the principles of the Green Claims Code.
- Press release: Greenwashing: CMA issues tailored guide for fashion brands (18.9.24)
Undertakings accepted from ASOS, Boohoo and George at Asda
27 March 2024: ASOS, Boohoo and George at Asda have signed formal agreements to use only accurate and clear green claims. The undertakings secured by the CMA commit ASOS, Boohoo and George at Asda to change the way they display, describe, and promote their green credentials, meaning millions of customers can expect to see clear and accurate green claims.
The firms have each signed an undertaking that commits them to an agreed set of rules around the use of green claims. Amongst other things, these include:
- Green claims: ASOS, Boohoo and George at Asda must ensure all green claims are accurate and not misleading. Key information must be clear and prominent, meaning it must be expressed in plain language, easy to read, and clearly visible to shoppers.
- Statements regarding fabrics: Statements made about materials in green ranges must be specific and clear, such as 바카라 사이트榦rganic바카라 사이트� or 바카라 사이트榬ecycled바카라 사이트�, rather than ambiguous 바카라 사이트� e.g. using terms like 바카라 사이트榚co바카라 사이트�, 바카라 사이트榬esponsible바카라 사이트�, or 바카라 사이트榮ustainable바카라 사이트�, without further explanation. The percentage of recycled or organic fibres must be clearly displayed and easy for customers to see. A product cannot be called 바카라 사이트榬ecycled바카라 사이트� or 바카라 사이트榦rganic바카라 사이트� unless it meets certain criteria.
- Criteria for green ranges: The criteria used to decide which products are included in environmental collections 바카라 사이트� such as ASOS바카라 사이트檚 former 바카라 사이트楻esponsible edit바카라 사이트�, Boohoo바카라 사이트檚 바카라 사이트楻eady for the Future바카라 사이트� range, and George at Asda바카라 사이트檚 바카라 사이트楪eorge for Good바카라 사이트�, and any further ranges 바카라 사이트� must be clearly set out and detail any minimum requirements. For example, if products need to contain a certain percentage of recycled fibres to be included in the range, this should be made clear. Products must not be marketed or labelled as part of an environmental range unless they meet all the relevant criteria.
- Use of imagery: The firms must not use 바카라 사이트榥atural바카라 사이트� imagery 바카라 사이트� such as green leaves 바카라 사이트� logos, or icons to suggest a product is more environmentally friendly than it actually is.
- Product filters: Search filters must be accurate, only showing items that meet the filter requirements 바카라 사이트� for example, if a consumer uses a filter to show 바카라 사이트榬ecycled바카라 사이트� trousers, only trousers made from predominantly recycled materials should be shown.
- Environmental targets: Any claims made to consumers about environmental targets must be supported by a clear and verifiable strategy, and customers must be able to access more details about it. Such information should include what the target is aiming to achieve, the date by which it is expected to be met, and how the company in question will seek to achieve that target.
- Accreditation schemes: Statements made by the companies about accreditation schemes and standards must not be misleading. For example, statements must make clear whether an accreditation applies to particular products or to the firm바카라 사이트檚 wider practices.
All 3 firms must also regularly provide the CMA with reports on how they are complying with the commitments they signed 바카라 사이트� as well as taking steps to improve their internal processes.
As part of today바카라 사이트檚 update, the CMA has also issued an open letter to the sector, urging fashion retail businesses to review their claims and practices in light of the undertakings, which set a benchmark for the industry.
To further help businesses stay on the right side of the law, the CMA is set to build on its current Green Claims Code, with additional information that will be tailored to the fashion sector.
- Open letter to the fashion sector into environmental claims (27.3.24)
- (27.3.24)
- (27.3.24)
- (27.3.24)
- Press notice: Green claims: CMA secures landmark changes from ASOS, Boohoo and Asda (27.3.24)
Launch of investigation
29 July 2022: The CMA is concerned about the way the firms바카라 사이트� products are being marketed to customers as eco-friendly.
The investigation will scrutinise environmental claims made by ASOS, Boohoo and George at Asda about their fashion products, including clothing, footwear, and accessories. Several issues will be examined, including whether:
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the statements and language used by the businesses are too broad and vague, and may create the impression that clothing collections 바카라 사이트� such as the 바카라 사이트楻esponsible edit바카라 사이트� from ASOS, Boohoo바카라 사이트檚 current 바카라 사이트楻eady for the Future바카라 사이트� range, and 바카라 사이트楪eorge for Good바카라 사이트� 바카라 사이트� are more environmentally sustainable than they actually are
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the criteria used by some of these businesses to decide which products to include in these collections may be lower than customers might reasonably expect from their descriptions and overall presentation 바카라 사이트� for example, some products may contain as little as 20% recycled fabric
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some items have been included in these collections when they do not meet the criteria used by the business
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there is a lack of information provided to customers about products included in any of the companies바카라 사이트� eco ranges, such as missing information about what the fabric is made from
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any statements made by the companies about fabric accreditation schemes and standards are potentially misleading, such as a lack of clarity as to whether the accreditation applies to particular products or to the businesses바카라 사이트� wider practices
At this early stage, the CMA has not reached a view as to whether there have been any breaches of consumer protection law.
The CMA바카라 사이트檚 wider review of the fashion sector and potentially misleading environmental claims in other sectors will continue as the CMA will also consider whether to open further investigations.
Press release: ASOS, Boohoo and Asda investigated over fashion 바카라 사이트榞reen바카라 사이트� claims (29.7.22)
Compliance review
10 January 2022: The CMA has commenced a review of environmental claims in the fashion retail sector. This follows publication of its guidance on making environmental claims on goods and services. The CMA plans to look at other sectors in due course. However, where there is evidence of breaches of consumer law outside of the fashion retail sector, the CMA may choose to take appropriate action before the review of fashion retail has completed.
It is estimated that UK consumers spend 拢54 billion annually on clothing and footwear, and this is expected to continue to grow in the coming years. According to some estimates, fashion is responsible for between 2 and 8% of global carbon emissions. More and more people are trying to choose more environmentally sustainable options when buying clothes. More and more fashion businesses are making environmental claims.
This includes claims that individual items of clothing are sustainable or better for the environment, claims about use of recycled materials in new clothing and entire ranges of clothing within stores being branded as 바카라 사이트榮ustainable바카라 사이트�.
The CMA바카라 사이트檚 review will examine environmental claims across the fashion retail sector in the UK to determine whether or not businesses are complying with consumer protection law. Where we identify businesses which we think are 바카라 사이트榞reenwashing바카라 사이트� we will take appropriate action.
Contact
The CMA continues to want to hear from you if you have experience of the types of issues covered in the green claims code.
Details of your experience can be shared with the CMA by email to: misleadinggreenclaims@cma.gov.uk
Updates to this page
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Undertakings accepted from ASOS, Boohoo and George at Asda.
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First published.