The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned online advertisements by Adidas, Uniqlo and Calvin Klein after ruling that their environmental claims about recycled products could mislead consumers.

The decision forms part of the regulator’s ongoing crackdown on greenwashing and follows an investigation into paid Google advertisements promoting clothing and footwear as “recycled” without sufficient explanation or evidence.

The advertisements in question promoted Adidas’ “recycled running shoes”, Calvin Klein’s “recycled” women’s tops, and Uniqlo’s fleece jackets and coats made from “recycled materials”.

During the investigation, Adidas stated that while it does not offer a dedicated recycled running shoe range, some products within its collections contain recycled content and are supported by internal product documentation. Calvin Klein argued that certain products in its women’s T-shirt and tops collection incorporate environmentally preferred materials, including recycled and organic fibres, and that consumers would not assume the claim applied to every item in the range. Uniqlo maintained that shoppers would understand its products were made to a meaningful extent from recycled materials and said its claims were backed by an internationally recognised certification scheme.

However, the ASA concluded that the advertisements failed to clearly explain the extent of recycled content used in the products. It said consumers were likely to interpret the standalone term “recycled” as meaning the products were made entirely from recycled materials unless otherwise specified.

The regulator stressed that absolute environmental claims require a high standard of evidence and clear qualification to avoid misleading consumers.

Miles Lockwood, Director of Complaints and Investigations at the ASA, said consumers must be able to trust environmental claims made in advertising. He noted that when advertisers use absolute terms such as “recycled”, they must clearly explain the basis of those claims and support them with robust evidence. Without such clarification, there is a risk of misleading consumers.

The ASA said it will continue monitoring environmental marketing claims across the fashion sector while working with brands to improve compliance with advertising standards.