Kalea Turner-Beckman, Co-founder and head of wool procurement and yarn design for Traceable Textiles in Alberta, sighs audibly when I ask her about “greenwashing,” a term that is gaining traction in the fibre and textile industries.
“Consumers,” she says, “expect honesty, not perfection.”
Greenwashing, a relatively new term that’s often deployed with an accompanying eye roll, targets companies that spend more money talking about being environmentally sustainable/responsible than they spend on actual processes.
“The public needs to be educated,” says Turner-Beckman. “They are bombarded with so much information. There’s a desire to be good stewards… But there are so many decisions and trade-offs and nothing is ever going to be pristine. It takes some due diligence. We’re all still accountable.”
Greenwashing is rife in Canada’s fashion sector. With a growing body of consumers beginning to ask questions about the source and processing of their fibre-based goods, high-profile retailers are stepping into the space with clever marketing strategies, big dollars, and slick campaigns.
Learn more in How to Spot Greenwashing: Strategies for Shoppers.
