Whenever someone wants to buy shoes, top recommendation would be Nike, Why not? Nike has constantly produced innovative, high-quality athletic footwear, gear, and equipment. Nike’s technological innovations, such as the development of Air cushioning in its sneakers, have contributed to the company’s position as a market leader in sportswear. So, obviously people wants to wear a good brand and comfy shoes. Initially functioning as a distributor for the Japanese brand Onitsuka Tiger, Nike was established in 1964 by Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight under the name Blue Ribbon Sports. After being renamed after the Greek goddess of triumph, Nike, Inc., it debuted in 1971. I’m going to share some interesting facts about Nike with you in this Analysis. Although everyone knows Nike for its iconic logo and stylish footwear, there’s more to the company’s history than is frequently spoken. I will be investigating the less evident aspects of Nike, such as their environmental effect, and their corporate social responsibility. The goal of this research is to make these lesser-known facts more widely known so that you may understand Nike’s true nature in addition to their widely held image.
Before we start let me tell you about the term “Greenwashing”, it describes the dishonest or false marketing strategies used by businesses to convey a false sense of environmental concern. This can be making inflated claims about how environmentally friendly goods or services are, applying deceptive labeling, or emphasizing little but significant environmental improvements while downplaying bigger, more significant problems. The main goal of “greenwashing” is to appear as though one is committed to ecology and sustainability without actually engaging in the necessary actions. It can deceive customers looking for eco-friendly products and damage the reputations of businesses that are sincere about adopting sustainable practices.
“Nike is being accused of Greenwashing in a proposed class action lawsuit about marketing claims made about its sustainability collection. The lawsuit argues, among other things, that recycled polyester and recycled nylon used in some of the products are not genuinely sustainable materials and cannot be labeled or marketed as such” (Christopher,2023). We can see that in this image advertisement by Nike, they have used the word Sustainable to promote or attracts more people to buy the product. Who don’t want to buy things which are not harmful for environment but that doesn’t mean you can lie or claim that you have Sustainable products. When you see a Nike commercial that talks about how sustainable innovation is a driving force behind growth, it’s disheartening to discover that there may be issues with the company’s real use of sustainable materials. If this is accurate, it suggests that they might be deceiving people. When a large corporation like as Nike claims to be doing something but isn’t, it can be misleading and harmful to the environment. Using sustainable products is vital for helping the environment. Businesses should be transparent about their eco-friendly initiatives, and consumers have a right to know if they’re living up to their pledges. “There’s bound to be legal action when a sustainable standard-bearer claims to be ecologically conscious but is accused of cutting corners. (O’Connell, 2023)
Ellis claims that she bought Nike “Sustainability Collection” Dry-Fit items because the brand said that they were “made with recycled fibers” and “sustainable,” which “reduces waste and our carbon footprint. “According to the Nike class action lawsuit, she would not have bought the products if she had realized they were not environmentally friendly or sustainable.(2023) Upon further investigation, we got to know that approximately 90% of the products in Nike’s “Sustainability” line are mostly constructed of “virgin” synthetic materials, which are known to be environmentally hazardous, rather than the “recycled fibers” as stated in the lawsuit. The lawsuit highlights that recycled polyester and recycled nylon, two materials that are “still plastic” and hence not biodegradable, make up most of the products that do contain recycled material. Although recycled nylon is still plastic and not biodegradable like recycled polyester, Nike still markets recycled nylon as a sustainable and environmentally friendly material, the suit argues. Recycled nylon is not an environmentally friendly or sustainable material. Recycled nylon doesn’t create new recycling channels for non-functional nylon items, nor does it divert waste materials from the environment. All it does is postpone what is bound to happen. In essence, Nike is transporting plastic from the ocean to the land.
To sum up, Finally, Nike should use greater caution. Companies must ensure that they understand what qualifies as eco-friendly and should not claim that their products are eco-friendly if they are not. It is crucial that they maintain objectivity regarding their work and refrain from making unsubstantiated statements. For the benefit of its customers and the environment, Nike ought to act before declaring itself to be sustainable.
Bibliography
ASI Central. (2023, July 11). ‘Greenwashing’ lawsuit against Nike claims recycled polyester apparel isn’t sustainable. https://members.asicentral.com/news/newsletters/promogram/july-2023/greenwashing-lawsuit-against-nike-claims-recycled-polyester-apparel-isn-t-sustainable/
Nike Sustainability. Move to zero. (n.d.). Nike.com. https://www.nike.com/sustainability
O’Connell, B. (2023, May 16). Nike is being sued for a disturbing reason. TheStreet. https://www.thestreet.com/retailers/nike-is-being-sued-for-a-disturbing-reason
Timmins, B. B. (2021, November 8). Climate change: Seven ways to spot businesses greenwashing. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-59119693
Riya Patel
The student did a good job in explaining what greenwashing is and how the popular footwear brand such as Nike are taking part in practices such as this. The student did great work by explaining how Nike is the brand which introduces great footwear ideas but they also let the audience know how the brand is lying to their audience by claiming to be an active organization introducing eco friendly ideas and materials for good quality shoes.
The sources used by the student are great in helping him understand the situation and explain it to the audience in a better way. They effectively explained deceptive marketing strategies by the company to create a false perception of environmental responsibility. The main points were summarized in a good way which emphasizes on how Nike uses terms like ‘sustainable’ and ‘recycled fibres’ in their marketing ideas and deceiving the customers.
The student even mentions how a client files a lawsuit against the company saying that she only bought the shoes from the specific company because of their claim of being sustainable. The uses of sources by students enhances academic credibility and provides strong foundation to the argument made.
All the key aspects of greenwashing were addressed by the student but using the counterarguments or the responses made by the brand could have helped to enhance the essay more. Overall, the critique effectively explained the potential greenwashing practiced by Nike.