Greenwashing is misleading marketing used to portray a company or product as sustainable and eco-friendly. This practice can include nature imagery, vague claims or unverified labels. The fashion industry is a prime example of where greenwashing can be spotted, especially in fast fashion.
Fast fashion describes cheap and trendy mass-produced clothing items. Yet with speed and affordability come countless environmental consequences.
“The amount of clothing that is wasted yearly is simply horrible,” said Gabriela Rivero-Ramirez, senior wildlife biology major and president of the Green Student Alliance. “So much labor, water and materials go into it, for it to just be wasted. It’s a shame.”
According to the Princeton Student Climate Initiative, the environmental impacts of fast fashion include water scarcity, high carbon emissions, waste production and the spread of harmful plastic microfibers into waterways.
One of the biggest offenders is Shein, a popular clothing website known for its affordable