What Is Bluewashing & Why It Is Bad

Bluewashing – The New Green?

In a time where everyone seems to be talking about greenwashing and what greenwashing is – a new concept have found its way to the sustainable fashion discussion:

A term that focusses more on the labor conditions within the garment industry than the overall environmental perspective. The term is bluewashing.

But what is it exactly? The term bluewashing is focusing on human rights.

But how does it function in reality? And why is it so bad?

What Is Bluewashing?

If we want to know what bluewashing is, and what exactly it means, we need to look at the story behind the term.

Bluewashing is often associated with the United Nations (UN), more specifically the UN Global Compact.

This might sound a bit strange because usually the UN is associated with good things right?

Well, it isn’t the Global Compact in itself that is doing the bluewashing, but it is the structure of the initiative that allows companies to bluewash. Confused? Let’s take a step back.

That all sounds pretty great doesn’t it? So what is the problem?

The UN Global Compact is by the use of their own words “the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative”. By setting up 10 norms or principles for companies to follow, they try to create a greener and more ethical industry.

or said by themselves: “At the UN Global Compact, we aim to mobilize a global movement of sustainable companies and stakeholders to create the world we want“.

The 10 principles are focused on promoting sustainable practices such as the abolishment of child labor, corruption, and slavery.

That all sounds pretty great doesn’t it? So what is the problem?

Well, even though this all sounds great on paper, the UN Global Compact has been criticized by academic scholars as well as human rights activists for lacking mechanisms to ensure that corporates actually comply with these 10 principles.

So even though the principles are great they are hard to actually follow up on, since the participating companies actually don’t have to follow the norms or provide proof that they are actually making changes in their supply chain.

This has led to huge criticism from activists and scholars who are all pointing to the fact that companies only join the UN Global Compact because it gives them goodwill and give them a better reputation.

This membership of the UN Global Compact is by many seen as an opportunity for corporates to make good PR and an opportunity to improve their image among consumers.

So it is not the UN Global Compact in itself, which is bluewashing. But the lack of mechanisms to ensure companies actually follow the 10 principles is providing the corporates with an opportunity to “cheat”.

“Cheating” in the sense that these corporates use their membership of the Global Compact to tell the consumers how sustainable they are.

But, in reality, they are strategically avoiding to follow the 10 principles, which means many of the companies only make a few cheap changes in their supply chain and don’t live up to the promises they give.

Why Is Bluewashing Bad?

Bluewashing is bad because it makes the consumers believe, that companies are much more ethical and socially responsible, than they actually are.

Some companies uses their membership of the Global Compact as an easy way out.

Companies use the Global Compact to portray themselves as more socially responsible than they actually are.

Maybe you see the similarities with greenwashing here? But where greenwashing is focusing on environmental impact bluewashing is focusing on human rights and labour conditions.

The problem arises when the consumer starts supporting a brand on the wrong basis. Like if you buy a dress or a pair of shoes from a garment company because you think they have a great socially responsible policy and provide great working conditions and fair wages for their workers:

But in reality, they aren’t really doing more than any other company. In fact, they might even be much less social responsible than corporates that aren’t members of the Global Compact.

false marketing is never a good thing, cause it makes you support companies, that might have a really bad social policy, even though you had the best intentions.

Why Is It Called Bluewashing?

We have now gotten to the bottom of the question; what is bluewashing. We also know why it is bad.

But what is the story behind the name?

Well, many suggests that the name comes from an association with the blue color of the UN logo. So many seem to be suggesting that the name derives from the company’s strategic use of the benefits from the UN Global Compact.

These strategies are often what is referred to as bluewashing, so for many, the link between the blue-colored UN flag and these dishonest companies seemed to be a good match.

Want to learn more?

So now we know the answer to the question; What is bluewashing:

but there is so much more to learn about sustainable fashion.

Are you for example familiar with the terms older sister greenwashing? If so, are you sure you know exactly what the term really means? You can find the ultimate guide to the term right here, where we explain what greenwashing is.