Clothing labels cause concern for the European Commission
A European Union campaign to test clothing labels for authenticity found the wrong information on the labels in 37% of cases.
Its study involved examining labels on more than 130 items of clothing, including activewear, nightwear and baby items.
It found what it called three main “types of non-compliance”. In some cases, the fibres were correctly stated on the labels but the declared percentage did not match true material mix. Secondly, some products contained different, cheaper fibres than those declared. Finally, on some products, fibres were incorrectly declared or named.
“These non-compliances are economically harmful and undermine consumer trust,” the European Commission said.
It said the failure rate for activewear was 13%.
Blends of natural and artificial fibres had the highest failure rate, at 64%, followed by samples labelled as having a blend of natural fibres with a failure rate of 46%. Samples labelled 100% single natural fibre had a failure rate of 15%.
Samples came from bricks-and-mortar shops and online retailers in Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Malta and Portugal. The tests took place in an accredited laboratory in Italy.
The authorities across these markets ordered that the sale of 18 products be stopped. Manufacturers of two products were instructed to take corrective measures, while another two products had to be relabelled.
“The high rate of failure suggests that mislabelling is widespread, underlining the importance of continued testing and a need to make the industry aware of its labelling obligations,” the Commission said. “When buying clothing, consumers should be cautious of very low prices, or deals that seem too good to be true, and to prefer products where the manufacturer’s name, address or website is mentioned on the label. This ensures accountability and traceability.”
