Fashion greenwashing glossary part two: what do ‘biodegradable’, ‘closed loop’ and ‘degrowth’ really mean?

Terms like ‘biodegradable’, ‘bioplastic’, ‘closed loop’ and ‘degrowth’ have found their way into fashion marketing – but what do these actually mean, and how do they benefit the environment? Photograph: We Are/Getty Images

The list of misleading environmental and sustainable descriptors used to market shirts, dresses, pants and T-shirts is unfortunately very long. Last week, experts decoded terms such as carbon neutral, circular, organic, regenerative, sustainable and zero waste.

For the next instalment of our fashion greenwashing glossary, we examine some of the more technical terms used by the industry and what they actually mean in practice.