Asos, George at Asda and Boohoo have signed formal agreements to make changes to their green claims, following action from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).
The pledge from the fashion retailers means they will have to change the way they “display, describe and promote” their green credentials, which means millions of consumers can see clear and accurate green claims.
All three retailers have signed undertakings laid out by the CMA committing them to an “agreed set of rules” including: ensuring all green claims are accurate and not misleading, creating specific and clear statements about materials in green ranges where percentage of recycled or organic fibres is clearly displayed, and not misleading customers in terms of imagery, search filters and accreditation schemes.
The CMA also said that any criteria used to decide which products are included in Asos’s former “responsible edit”, Boohoo’s “ready for the future” range, George at Asda’s “George for Good” and any further ranges must be “clearly set out and detail any minimum requirements”.
These retailers must also regularly provide the watchdog with reports detailing how they are meeting the commitments signed, as well as improving internal processes.
The news comes after the CMA launched an investigation in 2022 into Asos, Boohoo and George at Asda’s green claims, amid concerns of possible greenwashing.
As well as the initial announcement, the CMA also issued an open letter, urging fashion retailers to review their green claims.
CMA chief executive Sarah Cardell said: “Following our action, the millions of people who shop with these well-known businesses can now have confidence in the green claims they see.
“This also marks a turning point for the industry. The commitments set a benchmark for how fashion retailers should be marketing their products, and we expect the sector as a whole – from high street to designer brands – to take note and review their own practices.”
An Asda spokesperson said: “We have proactively engaged with the CMA throughout this process and are pleased to have mutually agreed the voluntary undertakings.
”We support any measures aimed at improving consumers’ understanding of environmental claims and providing clear and consistent guidelines to the fashion industry as a whole regarding the future use of such claims.”
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