The Merriam-Webster dictionary has a new addition.
Greenwashing - (noun) - the act or practice of making a product, policy, activity, etc. appear to be more environmentally friendly or less environmentally damaging than it really is.
The word was apparently coined by a researcher in a 1986 essay about hotels’ ecological practices, and has now been declared an official part of the English language by Merriam-Webster’s act of adding it to the dictionary for the first time.
Words used by many people, in the same way, over a long period of time become eligible for inclusion.
Over the last few years, there has been an absolute deluge of greenwashing as corporations have had to grapple with climate change becoming a top public priority. Where they once tried to deny a problem existed, corporations are now trying to pretend they are part of the solution.
Fast fashion companies are being scrutinised for the practice, employing misleading marketing claims to convince consumers that a product or line is sustainable or eco-friendly.
In the USA, fast-fashion giant H&M has found itself at the centre of a lawsuit in New York federal court, accusing it of greenwashing.
In the UK, sustainability claims made by major brands including Boohoo and ASOS are being investigated by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), the country’s competition regulator. In September 2021, the organisation published the Green Claims Code - a set of guidelines stipulating that companies using green marketing must not omit or hide important information and must consider the full life cycle of the product.
The European Union, in March 2022, proposed tougher regulations for brands and retailers to market their wares as green.
Merriam-Webster solidifying the definition of greenwashing is an important step as countries around the world begin to consider greenwashing a punishable offence. Fashion is not the only sector that markets its products using misleading sustainability claims, but fast fashion brands may now think twice before throwing terms such as ‘sustainable’ and ‘circular’ around. No longer a vague concept, the verifiable fact may help to create a more transparent fashion system.
