Sustainability guide for Brand Homes

We want to help you tell authentic stories. Learn how to communicate the sustainability-related benefits of your products in compliance with our guidelines and in a credible way. The most important rule for all compliant sustainability communication is substantiation, providing proof or evidence to show that your claim, statement or description is correct. Before any messaging regarding e.g. sustainability-related product attributes or Brand Stories are made, it must be backed by credible and verifiable proof. 

Greenwashing is the deceptive practice of companies conveying a false impression or providing misleading information about how their products, services or overall operations are environmentally sound. Critics of the practice suggest that the rise of greenwashing, paired with ineffective regulations, contributes to consumer skepticism of all green claims and diminishes the power of the consumer to drive companies toward greener manufacturing processes and business operations. 

After ensuring that you have proof, all messaging must be communicated in a clear and compliant manner. The following checklist will help you avoid language that can be interpreted as greenwashing.

Ask yourself the following questions to ensure your messaging and claims do not invite any greenwashing accusations and are aligned with our sustainability guidelines. Do not forget to ensure you can provide proof of your sustainability claims.

For example, do not use the claim made with organic materials for a Collection that includes products made with synthetic materials. It is not possible for a product made with 100% synthetic materials to be organic. Furthermore, if the Collection or product you are talking about, contains a blend of both synthetic and organic materials, make it clear that not the whole Collection or product is organic (e.g. Contains organic materials or even more specific Contains 50% organic cotton, 50% polyester).

Unless articles are mono-material, please say containing… instead of made from/with… to make sure the claim only refers to one of the used materials.

Do not say sustainable, green or eco-friendly. Instead, move to a deeper level of specificity and accuracy, for example This Collection contains items made with organic/recycled material.

Please remember, no product can be good for the planet.

Make sure all the linked articles in the Collection carry sustainability-related information that matches the specific claim. 

Add information that helps to qualify the statement. Help your audience understand the why by providing valuable information.

Do not use nature or plant images. Avoid the overuse of the colour green to allude to sustainability.

Below you will find concrete examples of sustainability-related messaging. Some of them are clear examples of greenwashing so make sure to avoid them.

The following are examples of vague, generic sustainability claims that we do not allow, as they can mislead consumers:

Sustainable, Responsible, Green, Eco-friendly, Environmentally-friendly, Fair, Ethical, Better for the planet, Conscious, Biodegradable. 

Environmental impact claims require a full life-cycle assessment of a product, measuring its holistic environmental footprint, which is data currently unavailable. That’s why we cannot make claims like: This product saves X% water, reduces emissions X% or better for the planet.

The term responsible can be seen as too vague and should not be used in messaging. However, when referring to animal fibres, you can use the product criteria certified wool and certified down. 

Do not make any vague sustainability claims like: cruelty-free, kind to animals, responsible wool, etc. but use the following messaging instead.

We do not allow vegan claims.

Given the lack of sufficient certifications and the complexity to ensure all materials, ingredients, glues, binding agents, etc are 100% vegan Zalando does not currently allow vegan product claims.

When applicable, you can refer to cruelty free. Note that these are not vegan products but instead are certified that animal testing for ingredients of manufacturing was not performed.

Examples of accepted criteria in relation to leather: Leather Working Group (please note that for Leather Working Group, only suppliers can be certified and not the product or material itself. This should be reflected in the attribute group reference), Certificates under Innovative Materials, Leather Alternative.

We do not offer or sell fur on Zalando and have been a fur-free retailer since 2016.

Fur includes any animal skin or body part with hair or fur fibres attached, either in its raw or processed state or the pelt of any animal killed for the animal’s fur. 

It does not include:

• Such skins that are, or are to be converted into leather or which in processing have or shall have, the hair, fleece or fur fibres completely removed.

• Materials clipped, shorn or combed from animals, such as fleece, sheepskin or shearling.

• Leather or hair attached to the skin that is typically used as leather, for example: Cowhide with hair attached.

• Synthetic materials intended to look like fur (Faux fur)

To talk about organic materials or ingredients you need to have relevant certifications to support such claims.

Examples of accepted criteria: OCS Blended, OCS 100, GOTS Organic, GOTS.

Similar to responsible, using the phrase responsibly sourced without specific context and information can be misleading and should therefore be avoided. You should instead focus on specific product attributes. Examples of accepted wood-based material product standard: Generic Lyocell, LENZING Viscose, TENCEL Lyocell.

While the term recycled on its own is too vague for product/style names, recycled material is an accepted product standard for fashion, footwear and accessories.

Here is an overview of the accepted criteria:

Currently, compliant durability claims are not possible due to a lack of definition and verifiable evidence at the product level, so avoid making durability claims.

A product itself can't be durable. It's the actions, materials and design choices that make it long-lasting. There is no clear definition or universal standard to substantiate a product being produced to last.

Do not make a vague sustainability claim such as: A circular Collection.  

Instead, you can claim Products designed for circularity. Please make sure all items in such a collection are certified/verified by a relevant trademark or registration, such as Cradle to Cradle Certified®.

Find more resources around sustainability, ethical conduct and animal welfare policies.

• • Article
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  Sustainability communications policy and guidelines

• Updated sustainable sourcing and animal welfare policy

  We updated this policy in June 2025 to provide more clarity on the mandatory requirements for products being sold on the platform.

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  Product Sustainability glossary

• • Video
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  Criteria update of our sustainability product standards - webinar