ASOS PLC (LSE:ASC) removed its sustainable clothing range from its website just weeks before the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched an investigation into ‘greenwashing’ by the retailer.
According to a report by the i newspaper, the ‘Responsible Edit’ tab, which featured “environmentally conscious” clothing according to ASOS, and the filter setting to find eco-friendly clothing, were removed from its website on 15 July, three years after its launch, without an announcement or explanation as to why.
Two weeks later, the CMA said it was investigating ASOS, alongside Boohoo and George at Asda, over beliefs their sustainability claims were misleading to customers.
The watchdog’s concerns include vague language that could potentially mislead customers into thinking clothing ranges are more environmentally sustainable than they are.
It is also looking into whether the criteria for what is considered green are too low and whether items are included in the 'green' collections that do not meet the criteria.
The i report said ASOS informed them it “proactively” removed the Responsible Edit tab from its site in response to the investigation.
“ASOS took the decision to proactively remove the functionality of the Responsible Edit, including filters, from the website in June as we co-operated with the CMA’s review of the fashion retail sector and we informed them of this move,” a spokesperson said.