An environmental advocacy organization has filed a complaint against Lululemon, alleging that the sportswear giant misled consumers about its impact on the planet.
In February, Stand.earth announced that it had filed an anti-competition complaint with Competition Bureau Canada after reports from Lululemon showed that the company had doubled its carbon pollution since the start of its “Be Planet” marketing campaign in 2020.
“Stand.earth’s position in its complaint is that Lululemon’s business is inconsistent with its public claims to be an environmentally positive company,” the organization wrote in its announcement.
“They benefit from a carefully constructed image of environmental sustainability and well-being… but their exponential growth has been built on fossil fuels, from clothing literally made from fracked gas to polluting production that threatens the health of communities in the South Global,” added Tzeporah Berman. , Director of the Stand.earth International Program.
Perhaps it’s no surprise that the fashion industry is one of the most polluting sectors in the world. Earth.org notes that it generates about 1.3 billion tons of carbon dioxide every year, second only to the food and construction industries.
The continued rise of fast fashion has contributed significantly to the problem. More than 100 million tons of textiles are thrown annually, leaching harmful chemicals and microplastics into the Earth as they slowly decompose. Some fast-fashion giants have also been linked to illegal deforestation, and the industry overall was thrust into the spotlight in a recent HBO documentary about teen apparel company Brandy Melville.
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Lululemon has not presented itself as a fast-fashion brand, but Stand.earth recently awarded it a C for its practices related to the use of renewable energy and a C- when it comes to low-carbon materials.
Good on You also gave it a sustainability rating of 2 out of 5 for its impact on people, animals and the planet, citing in part a lack of evidence on living wages and the protection of biodiversity.
In its complaint, Stand.earth acknowledged that Lululemon is taking steps to reduce its negative environmental impact, something a company spokesperson stated in an email to Fashion Dive following the order, as reported by Retail Dive .
However, the organization calls on Lululemon to remove the “Be Planet” campaign from its website due to its “false and misleading representations” that go “too far in creating the overall impression that the company’s actions and products are contributing positively for the environment.” and a healthier planet.”
“…This definitely seems to fit my oft-cited definition of greenwash as ‘communication that induces people to adopt overly positive beliefs about an organization’s environmental performance, practices, or products,'” Wren Montgomery, associate professor of management and sustainability at Western University, said in a Stand.earth press release.
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