Reality Check: Environmental Textile Certifications
How to communicate them, why certifications are not the holy grail and what role they play under the EU Green Claims Directive proposal
Welcome to another issue of The Crisps – your weekly newsletter on anti-greenwashing and honest fashion communication. In this issue we’ll look at environmental textile certifications and how you can talk about them.
Are certifications the solution to the problems of the fashion industry? We wish it would be that simple. But, of course, it’s not. Do certifications like Oeko-Tex, GOTS, GRS or Fairtrade prevent greenwashing? Well, it’s also not that simple as certifications have been criticized over and over again and face many challenges. For example in 2020, GOTS faced a scandal after a web of fraudulent certificates for organic cotton was revealed.1 But it’s not the only one making negative headlines.
Against the backdrop of imminent regulations, certification schemes are gaining increased importance, especially under the EU Green Claims Directive proposal. This directive not only outlines a structure for creating and validating eco-labels and certifications for ecologically-optimized products but also emphasizes their uniform adoption throughout the EU.
It indicates that environmentally-conscious assertions can achieve recognition when grounded in authorized certification programs. However, it's crucial to approach this situation thoughtfully, as it benefits private standard owners financially. Professionals in the fields of communication and sustainability are now obligated to thoroughly understand the potential and limitations of textile certifications. So let’s dive into the challenges of environmental textile certifications, 5 things to keep in mind when communicating certifications and a lexicon of the most important wording to know.
Next week, in our pro issue, we will list the most common environmental textile certifications and tell you about their intent, potential shortcomings, performance, limits, and greenwashing traps.
3 challenges of environmental textile certifications
Sidestepping systemic issues: Over 100 sustainability certification schemes are currently in use within the textile industry, as listed in the Ecolabel Index. This mosaic of certifications has proven ineffective in tackling the systemic issues linked to fast fashion, fossil fuel dependency, and excessive production.
Missing independence: The autonomy of voluntary initiatives is often undermined as they are influenced by brands that provide funding or participate in their governing bodies. As a result, voluntary initiatives often yield to industry pressures. Major initiatives such as the Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) and its Higg Index are part of a complex network, intertwined with other initiatives and brands. This interconnectedness holds a risk for the expression of opposing views and alternative approaches.
Insufficient transparency: Transparency is a cornerstone of credibility. But most textile certification schemes fail to meet rigorous standards. According to the Changing Markets Foundation that’s even the case for government-mandated schemes like the EU Ecolabel.2 At times, these programs operate as black boxes without external scrutiny while having significant influence over material and fiber decisions. But it also doesn’t help merely making data public. Transparency is about presenting information in a way that is easily accessible, comprehensible, and open to challenge when needed.
What to keep in mind when communicating environmental textile certifications
In sustainability communication, substance is power against greenwashing. Here’s what you should consider to avoid greenwashing fallpits:
Remember, certification schemes and labels are tools, not magical solutions. They can help improve authenticity, but they're only as truthful as their users make them.
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A greenwashing critical lexicon
Before speaking about certifications, you should know these words. But as definitions are not the most exciting thing to read, we’ve added a more interesting one next to the official definition: a greenwashing critical explanation. We hope this helps to navigate with care through the narratives around certifications:
Audit
Generic Explanation: An audit is a systematic process of reviewing and evaluating an organization's financial records, operations, or processes to ensure accuracy, compliance with regulations, and efficiency. It involves an independent assessment by auditors who provide an unbiased assessment of the organization's activities.
Greenwashing Critical Explanation: An audit serves as a public display of a company's dedication to transparency, yet it can sometimes be a carefully choreographed presentation. During this review, a company's financial records, operations, or processes are put on display, usually to give the appearance of responsible behavior. Nevertheless, this doesn't always accurately represent the genuine environmental and social effects of a company's activities. In many cases, the primary goal of an audit is rather to improve the company's image and reputation.
1st Party Audit
Generic Explanation: A 1st party audit, also known as an internal audit, is conducted by an organization's own staff to assess the company's processes, operations, and activities against established standards or criteria. It aims to identify areas for improvement and ensure compliance with regulations.
Greenwashing Critical Explanation: A 1st party audit is a self-styled review designed to paint a good picture of a company's operations. It's a carefully orchestrated self-assessment that serves more as a public relations tool than a genuine effort to address environmental and social concerns. Companies often highlight selective positive aspects while conveniently overlooking deeper systemic issues that contribute to their greenwashing strategies.
2nd Party Audit
Generic Explanation: A 2nd party audit is conducted by external parties, such as customers, suppliers, or stakeholders, to evaluate a company's operations, processes, and products against agreed-upon standards or criteria. It serves as a form of supplier evaluation and relationship management.
Greenwashing Critical Explanation: The 2nd party audit serves as a means to uphold business connections while concealing greenwashing tactics. External parties act as auditors, yet their evaluations might be swayed by financial motivations or affiliations, resulting in a superficial appearance of adherence, while underlying problems stay concealed.
3rd Party Audit
Generic Explanation: A 3rd party audit is an independent assessment conducted by an external certification body that is not affiliated with the organization being audited. It aims to provide an unbiased evaluation of the company's operations, processes, and compliance with established standards.
Greenwashing Critical Explanation: The 3rd party audit is a commonly employed process in which certification bodies take on the role of evaluators for environmental claims. Despite being promoted as unbiased evaluations, these audits frequently lack the thoroughness needed to reveal complex greenwashing tactics. The focus tends to lean more towards upholding an image of credibility rather than exposing the widespread sustainability issues within the industry.
Certification (Textiles)
Generic Explanation: Certification in textiles involves a comprehensive assessment of textile products or processes to verify their adherence to specific standards related to quality, safety, and environmental impact. Certified textiles provide consumers with assurance that the products meet predetermined criteria.
Greenwashing Critical Explanation: Textile certification can seem like a performance where select products are spotlighted as exemplars of sustainability. However, this spotlight often obscures a wider landscape of unsustainable practices. While certifications promise authenticity, they can sometimes conceal larger systemic problems within the textile industry.
Certification Body
Generic Explanation: A certification body is an independent organization authorized to evaluate and assess companies, products, or processes against established standards or criteria. It provides certification, a formal recognition that a company's practices meet specific requirements.
Greenwashing Critical Explanation: A certification body can unwittingly become an accomplice to companies' greenwashing schemes, as their certification often focuses on surface-level improvements while ignoring the deeper systemic issues that perpetuate unsustainable practices.
Certification Schemes and Management Systems
Generic Explanation: Certification schemes involve processes through which organizations demonstrate their compliance with established standards. Management systems are structured approaches that organizations implement to ensure effective and consistent operations.
Greenwashing Critical Explanation: While often promoted as drivers of change, certification schemes can occasionally operate as tools for surface-level adherence. This allows companies to maintain the appearance of alignment without making substantial strides towards sustainability.
Industry Standard
Generic Explanation: An industry standard serves as a benchmark for quality, safety, and consistency within a specific sector. It outlines best practices and guidelines that companies are encouraged to follow to ensure uniformity in processes and products. In theory, industry standards promote fair competition and trust among stakeholders.
Greenwashing Critical Explanation: An industry standard resembles a guideline with many escape clauses. While it's positioned as the gold standard for responsible practices, in reality, it often becomes a mere checkbox exercise. Companies selectively adhere to these standards, cherry-picking aspects that align with their interests while conveniently sidestepping more challenging requirements. It's a showcase of how businesses can manipulate standards to appear ethical while perpetuating unsustainable practices.
Voluntary Industry Standard
Generic Explanation: Voluntary industry standards are guidelines that companies choose to adopt to demonstrate their commitment to ethical, social, or environmental practices. These standards are intended to drive positive change and reflect the organization's values.
Greenwashing Critical Explanation: Voluntary industry standards are like vanity projects for companies looking to polish their public image. By cherry-picking aspects that align with their interests and ignoring others, businesses create an illusion of commitment. The result? Superficial compliance distracting from the absence of genuine transformative efforts.
Code of Conduct
Generic Explanation: A code of conduct outlines the ethical principles and behavioral expectations that a company commits to following. It addresses areas such as social responsibility, fair labor practices, and sustainability, promoting responsible business conduct.
Greenwashing Critical Explanation: A code of conduct allows companies to claim high ethical ground while leaving room for ambiguity. In practice, it's a way to showcase intentions without substantial action. Businesses often conveniently interpret the code's provisions in ways that suit their interests, effectively bending the rules while maintaining a facade of responsibility.
Product Certification
Generic Explanation: Product certification involves evaluating individual products to verify their compliance with specific standards or criteria. Certification provides assurance to consumers that the product meets certain quality, safety, or environmental requirements.
Greenwashing Critical Explanation: Companies often use product certification to present a select few items as emblematic of their responsible practices. The spotlight falls on certified products while the larger picture of unsustainable production and practices remains hidden. It overshadows systemic issues with the allure of a few token eco-friendly offerings.
Factory Certification
Generic Explanation: Factory certification involves assessing a manufacturing facility to ensure it meets established standards for various factors, including safety, labor practices, and environmental impact. It signifies a commitment to responsible production.
Greenwashing Critical Explanation: Factory certification is the art of constructing a carefully curated image. While factories undergo assessment, the emphasis is on appearance rather than substance. Behind closed doors, practices might differ significantly from what's showcased, revealing how certification can be a front for maintaining a presentable image while hiding systemic flaws.
Standard
Generic Explanation: A standard is a set of established guidelines, criteria, or specifications that define the quality, safety, or performance expected within a particular context or industry.
Greenwashing Critical Explanation: A standard can become a fluid set of rules, flexible enough to accommodate creative interpretations. Businesses adeptly maneuver within these guidelines, often meeting the letter but not the spirit of the standard. It's a showcase of how companies can mold standards to fit their needs while appearing compliant on the surface.
Private Standard Owner
Generic Explanation: A private standard owner is an organization or entity that develops and manages standards for a specific industry or practice. These standards are not regulated by governmental authorities but serve as benchmarks for best practices and responsible behavior.
Greenwashing Critical Explanation: Private standard owners wield power in shaping the game. While promoting ethical, sustainable practices, these entities can also become gatekeepers, dictating what qualifies as "responsible." The standards they establish might carry noble intentions, but they can also become tools for maintaining their influence and control within their industry.
Governmental Standard Owner
Generic Explanation: A governmental standard owner is a regulatory authority responsible for developing and enforcing standards, regulations, and guidelines within a specific industry. These standards often have legal authority and are mandatory for compliance.
Greenwashing Critical Explanation: A governmental standard owner might have the law on its side, but in practice, the rules they set can be marred by bureaucracy and leniency. While sounding robust, these standards might lack when it comes to true accountability. It's an example of how regulations can sometimes be more about appearances than driving genuine change.
Next week we will get into the details of certifications like GOTS, Oeko-Tex, Better Cotton Initiative and provide an overview of the intent of each certification, potential shortcomings, performance, limits, and greenwashing traps. An issue you shouldn’t miss if you use certification in your fashion company and communication.
All the best,
Tanita & Lavinia
Textile Today Online (2020. GOTS finds ‘gigantic scale’ fraud in India organic cotton https://www.textiletoday.com.bd/gots-finds-gigantic-scale-fraud-india-organic-cotton (accessed online 11.08.2023)
Changing Markets Foundation (2022). License to Greenwash - How certification schemes and voluntary initiatives are fuelling fossil fashion. http://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/LICENCE-TO-GREENWASH-FULL-REPORT.pdf (accessed online 12.08.2023)