Sintéticos Anónimos

The report finds that synthetic fibers make up 69% of all materials in the textile industry, with production requiring more oil than Spain's annual consumption. An analysis of 46 brands reveals a systemic lack of transparency and a reliance on 'downcycling' PET bottles into clothing rather than implementing fiber-to-fiber recycling. A study of 4,028 products from 12 online stores showed that 67% contained synthetics, and 59% of products with sustainability claims violated UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) guidelines. The document concludes that voluntary commitments are insufficient and calls for EU legislation on extended producer responsibility and green claims to break the industry's addiction to fossil fuels.

• Synthetic fibers, derived from fossil fuels like oil and gas, dominate the textile industry, accounting for 69% of all materials used, a figure projected to reach nearly 75% by 2030. The production of these fibers currently consumes more oil than the total annual consumption of Spain.
• An assessment of 46 fashion brands shows a critical lack of leadership in reducing synthetic fiber use; no company has clearly committed to phasing them out. Only six brands—Dressmann, Esprit, Hugo Boss, Puma, Reformation, and United Colors of Benetton—indicated a desire to avoid or reduce synthetics entirely.
• The industry relies on 'downcycling' PET bottles into polyester as a primary sustainability strategy, which the report identifies as a false solution. 85% of surveyed companies aim to meet recycled polyester goals using PET bottles, while none reported high-level targets for true fiber-to-fiber recycling.
• Greenwashing is widespread in product labeling. Of the 39% of analyzed products that featured an ecological claim, 59% failed to comply with the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) guidelines. Compliance varied by brand, with H&M (96%), ASOS (89%), and M&S (88%) showing the highest rates of non-compliance.
• Analysis of 4,028 products from 12 online stores (including luxury and fast-fashion brands) found that 67% contained synthetics, with an average synthetic composition of 53%. Some 'sustainable' collections actually contained more synthetics than main lines, such as H&M's Conscious Collection (72% vs 61%).
• The fashion industry largely ignores the risks of microplastic pollution, often delaying action by calling for more research or promoting end-of-pipe solutions like washing machine filters that do not address the source of the problem.

APA

Changing Markets Foundation (2021). Sintéticos Anónimos. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/CM-EX-SUM-FINAL-SPANISH-SYNTETHIC-ANONYMOUS-WEB.pdf

Chicago

Changing Markets Foundation. Sintéticos Anónimos. 2021. https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/CM-EX-SUM-FINAL-SPANISH-SYNTETHIC-ANONYMOUS-WEB.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Changing Markets Foundation |title=Sintéticos Anónimos |date=June 2021 |url=https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/CM-EX-SUM-FINAL-SPANISH-SYNTETHIC-ANONYMOUS-WEB.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{changingmarketsfoundation2021sintticos, author = {{Changing Markets Foundation}}, title = {{Sintéticos Anónimos}}, institution = {Changing Markets Foundation}, year = {2021}, month = jun, url = {https://changingmarkets.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/CM-EX-SUM-FINAL-SPANISH-SYNTETHIC-ANONYMOUS-WEB.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }