Choosing Legitimately Sustainable Partners by Sorting Through Greenwashing Claims
Dorothy Crouch, Contributing Writer | Friday, March 6, 2026
Creating sustainable goods has long been a goal of many companies within the fashion industry, from the hippie outliers of the 1970s to businesses currently following environmental, social and governance (ESG) pillars defined at the corporate level. Unfortunately, campaigns within the fashion industry often contain a large amount of greenwashing and false sustainability claims despite consumer awareness and increased scrutiny of apparel supply chains.
Brands, designers, suppliers and manufacturers have joined forces to reduce greenwashing and increase the sustainable trustworthiness of the fashion industry. These companies and organizations hold each other accountable by thoroughly examining their partners and sourcing in addition to adhering to their own ecologically sound, socially beneficial and responsible business commitments to show how they not only demand accountability but also embrace it.
California Apparel News asked apparel-sustainability experts: How do you sort through sustainable claims to expose companies that engage in greenwashing or prove legitimacy of those who follow ecological practices?
MeiLin Wan
Founder and Chief Executive Officer, GenuTrace
At GenuTrace, we sort real sustainability from greenwashing in apparel and textiles by asking one simple question: If you claim it, can you prove it? In an environment of heightened scrutiny—from the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act in the United States to expanding EU regulations on forced labor, deforestation and product transparency—claims around cotton origin, recycled fibers and responsible sourcing must be supported by verifiable evidence.
Our approach goes beyond self-declared statements and marketing language. We apply evidence-based validation that combines physical verification of fibers and materials—such as stable isotope analysis for cotton origin and feedstock verification for recycled fibers—with rigorous review of chain-of-custody documentation across the supply chain. This allows us to assess whether fiber-level data, production records and finished products are consistent with the claims being made.
Companies engaged in genuine sustainability welcome this level of transparency; those relying on greenwashing often cannot withstand it. This is the foundation of Genuine Traceability—moving beyond intent and disclosure to material-level proof that can be independently tested, audited and trusted. By aligning scientific verification with practical traceability frameworks and digital records, GenuTrace enables brands, mills and retailers to transform sustainability claims into defensible evidence, reducing compliance risk while building lasting trust with regulators, customers and partners.
