Are you greenwashing or greenhushing?

By now, everyone in the fashion industry knows about greenwashing.

And they know it’s a bad idea.

But to make sure everyone’s on board:

Greenwashing is when companies portray their actions or products as more sustainable than what is really the case.

On the opposite side, we have greenhushing.

As a term, it is not as wellknown as greenwashing, but the fact is, many companies practice it.

Greenhushing is when companies intentionally withhold information about their CSR initiatives because they are afraid of being accused of greenwashing.

While not as bad as greenwashing (which should be avoided at all costs), greenhushing still has negative results:

You can appear indifferent. As if you’re not doing your part.
You are keeping the bar low for other companies. The more brands leading the sustainable way in fashion, the merrier.
To consumers it seems as if they have limited options when shopping. This can either lead them to shop conventional clothes or keep returning to the same brands, who they trust.

But what do you do then?

Here are some of our tips on how to communicate your CSR initiatives:

1. Be realistic

Set and communicate realistic timeframes for your CSR initiatives. Rather have a one-year timeframe than half a decade.

2. Be transparent

Explain what you are doing and why. But remember it is just as important to share your failures as your wins.

3. Get it on paper

Have all your documentation in order before you begin communicating. Remember, the documentation must come from recognised and impartial sources.

4. Be specific

Don’t get carried away with the idea of a green sparkly campaign with vague terms and big promises. Keep it simple, and on product level.

If you think this all sounds like a big overwhelming nightmare, we’ve got good news for you!

In our webinar, An Introduction to Sustainability Communication, we teach you how and what you can communicate.

Caroline Krogholm PedersenSeptember 13, 2022