Overview
- The Advertising Standards Authority ordered specific online adverts from Adidas, Calvin Klein and Uniqlo to be withdrawn after finding the ads implied whole products were made from recycled materials without evidence.
- The ASA said absolute language such as "recycled" leads consumers to expect entire garments meet the claim and must be qualified with clear explanations and supporting proof.
- Adidas told the regulator it does not run a standalone recycled running‑shoe range and that some items across collections may incorporate recycled materials, a position the ASA found insufficient to support the ad.
- Uniqlo’s Google ad was banned because the regulator found main fabrics were recycled polyester but components such as zips and labels were not, and Calvin Klein’s ad failed to explain which items or parts were recycled.
- The rulings, which were published this week, form part of an ongoing ASA project to curb greenwashing in retail fashion and could push brands and ad platforms to make sustainability claims more specific and better documented.