The rulings, published by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), form part of a wider investigation into green claims in the fashion retail sector.
In all three cases, the ASA found that the brands had failed to make clear the basis of their environmental claims, leading consumers to believe products were made entirely from recycled or environmentally preferable materials when that was not the case.
For Adidas, the investigation centred on a Google advert promoting “Recycled Running Shoes” and inviting customers to “Check Out Our Recycled Shoe Range Today”.
The sportswear giant argued that consumers would understand the wording to mean the shoes contained materials derived from recycled sources, rather than being wholly made from them.
However, the ASA disagreed, saying the phrase was likely to be interpreted as an absolute claim. In its ruling, the regulator said the wording would “be understood as meaning that all shoes in their recycled running shoe range were made from 100% recycled materials”.
Calvin Klein faced similar criticism over an advert for women’s tops which described its products as part of “Responsibly sourced collections – Recycled, Organic & More”.
The ASA said consumers were likely to read the claims as meaning the garments in those collections were “entirely made from recycled, organic or other environmentally preferred materials”.
In Uniqlo’s case, the ASA examined a Google advert for women’s fleece jackets and coats featuring the standalone claim “Recycled Materials”.
Although the products did contain recycled fibres, the ASA said the evidence did not prove they were wholly made from recycled fabrics, meaning the claim breached the advertising code.
The three rulings are part of a broader ASA crackdown on environmental claims in the fashion sector, reflecting increased scrutiny of greenwashing and vague sustainability messaging.
The regulator has increasingly leaned on guidance from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which states that brands should not describe products simply as “recycled” or “organic” unless non-recycled content is negligible.
In December 2025, the ASA banned ads for Nike, Superdry and Lacoste for similarly misleading claims about environmental credentials.
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