By now the word greenwashing has invaded search engines, articles and social pages. But there are those who still may not know its meaning. This word, used since the late 80s, is composed of green , which recalls the world of ecology, and washing , from to whitewash translated into Italian as to whitewash, to cover, to hide, so literally it can be translated as "to cover with ecology" that is, to hide something with a patina of apparent ecology, not truthful.
Greenwashing is a marketing strategy used by companies that demonstrate a fictitious attention to the value of eco-sustainability by hiding, or not completely showing, the real negative consequences that the company's production has on the environment.
In order to manipulate and confuse buyers who are truly interested in the values of sustainability and respect for the environment, many companies make extensive use of greenwashing by declaring themselves, only apparently, bearers of ethical and sustainable values.
It is therefore important to have a high awareness of these issues in order to be able to counteract deception.
A good way to counteract greenwashing is to evaluate whether certain companies have internationally recognized certifications favored by the most important organic agriculture and responsible and sustainable development organizations in the textile sector. These allow you to identify companies that are truly concerned with eco-sustainability and related issues. Some of the most important are:
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Global Organic Textile Standards (GOTS): certifies that products are made of at least 70% natural fibres from organic farming, made with chemicals that meet the standards and in collaboration with third-party manufacturing activities in line with eco-sustainable principles.
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Organic Content Standard (OCS): achieved through a multi-stage process during which products and the production process are assessed and inspected. A certificate of compliance with the standards is then awarded, which is confirmed annually with periodic inspections of all production stages.
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Global Recycled Standard (GRS): certifies and guarantees that products contain at least 20% recycled material.
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OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 : with which raw materials, unfinished and finished products and accessory materials are controlled and certified. Through scientific criteria and methods, whose parameters are highly demanding and internationally valid, it certifies safety and effectiveness.
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People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA): an organization that supports animal rights and fights, among other things, against intensive farming and animal testing. It therefore ensures that the products of the certified company are made in full respect of animal rights.
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Animal Free : a project born to defend animals in the fashion industry, assigns a certification to those companies that eliminate animal-derived materials such as yarns, leather, feathers and fur from their production.
A list of certifications against greenwashing, the knowledge of which allows you to make more conscious purchases.
This is why we at OWN are committed to sustainability in fashion and transparency in our production.
On our website you will find the list of our certifications .
We think it is important to create awareness around these issues that are becoming more and more daily and important. The concept behind our idea of fashion is that behind every buyer there is a citizen who believes in certain values and carries them forward through - what may seem - simple purchasing choices. At OWN we would like to spread values that are the defense of nature and its resources, energy saving and respect for all the people who work in the fashion industry.