Greenwashing: Is sustainable fashion a myth?

If you've been shopping in a mall
or online for quilting recently,

you may have noticed a trend.

An increase in fashion
promising is more sustainable.

Even the printed design
is plant based.

Environmentally friendly.

That's why 79% of our garments

already have sustainable properties.

More shoppers want fashion
that is less impractful on the planet

and companies are responding.

It's a very very big trend right now.

So there's a huge increase in the market
of stuff leading us to be sustainable.

While some companies
are doing the right thing,

many consumers we spoke with
are skeptical.

They're using all the right words

but I don't see it actually
being put into practice.

If i'm going to by something
that claims to be "eco",

Am I asking the cashier
like if they know?

Honestly, no.

Putting big terms like:

natural, organic,
sustainable, vegan.

Those kinds of terms
are being used.

Kelly Drennan is the
founding executive director of

Fashion Takes Action (FTA)

For more than 16 years,
her non-profit has been working

to advance sustainability
in Canadian fashion.

And so what we're doing is,
is there actually missleading the consumer

into thinking that those products
are made sustainably

by using those kind of words.

And making the assumption that
the consumer does not know any better,

and doesn't have the time to actually
do the research.

And so, they end up buying the product
because they think they're doing something

better for the planet.

She says she's seen it all
including companies greenwashing their way

into Canadian closets.

It's the wild west, really, in terms of
what claims to be in made and

what companies are getting away with.

Is it frustrating for you some times
to you see these wild claims being made?

It's a 100% frustrating,
because they are some brands

that legitimately are doing
great things.

The ones who are doing it properly,
have the certifications to backup those claims,

or they're being transparent.

They allow you sort of behind the scene,
so you can actually get in there

and see if what they're saying is legitimate.

And then you got the brands that
are jumping on the bandwagon

and taking advantage of the consumer.

While deceptive marketing, in general,
is illegal in Canada,

Kelly wants the government to step up.

There're some countries where
there are more laws in place now,

antique washing laws, transparency laws,
which really protect the consumer at the end of the day.

But like in anything, there's good actors,
and there's bad actors.

Our over consumption of fast fashion,
makes the industry one of the most

polluting a problematic for the planet.

In Canada, textiles in our landfill
is actually higher than electronics.

So you've got the syntetics, the polyester nyllon