Are You an Eco-Warrior or Eco-Worrier?
Wanting to help the environment but scared of getting it wrong
I needed some new clothes; I try to avoid fast fashion and buy second hand a lot but this time I wanted something new to wear. I thought H&M Conscious would be a good bet — I mean, it has ‘conscious’ in the name so it must be ethical. But a quick google search told me I was wrong, and another shop was crossed off my eco-friendly list.
According to Norway’s consumer watchdog, it turns out H&M Conscious range makes unsupported and vague claims about the manufacturing of their products, and their promotional material misleads buyers — it isn’t nearly as environmentally friendly as the brand comes across.
This is an example of ‘green-washing’, something more and more brands are doing. They attract consumers by making unsubstantiated and misleading claims about the environmental benefits of their products.
I felt like I couldn’t win; being eco-friendly and sustainable is getting more and more confusing as a consumer. We’re bombarded with labels, slogans, and advice telling us to shop here or do that to help the environment, but it’s all so contradictory, expensive, and inaccessible! It seems it’s almost impossible to be a perfect eco-warrior.
