UK watchdog backs complaints over Adidas, Calvin Klein and Uniqlo green claims
The ASA has forced Adidas, Calvin Klein and Uniqlo to pull vague recycled claims after finding each ad blurred what was actually recycled.
The Advertising Standards Authority upheld complaints against Google ads from Adidas, Calvin Klein and Uniqlo, ruling that each brand had stretched recycled-content language beyond what it could clearly prove. The ads were part of a wider environmental-claims sweep in retail fashion, identified through the ASA’s Active Ad Monitoring system, which uses AI to scan ads in specific sectors.
The Adidas ad, seen on 18 December 2025, read: “adidas Recycled Running Shoes […] Check Out Our Recycled Shoe Range Today.” Calvin Klein’s ad, seen on 9 December 2025, promised “Calvin Klein tops for women. Responsibly sourced collections – Recycled, Organic & More.” Uniqlo’s, seen on 25 December 2025, promoted “Fleece Coats & Jackets – UNIQLO Women’s Range […] Shop UNIQLO Fleece Coats & Jackets Now […] Recycled Materials.” The ASA published all three rulings on 24 June 2026 and told the companies the ads must not appear again in the same form.
The environmental claims were not clear enough. Unqualified claims can mislead consumers, especially when an ad implies a broad green benefit without explaining which part of the product is recycled or how much of it is. Advertisers should not describe a product as recycled if it contains non-recycled fibres, unless that non-recycled share is negligible.
Each brand offered a defence. Uniqlo said its fleece claim referred to recycled polyester made from recycled post-consumer PET and that it had certificates and composition data showing recycled content in the main body fabric, lining and trim. Calvin Klein said the promoted collection included recycled, organic and other certified materials, with certified content ranging from 20% to 100% depending on style. Adidas said consumers would understand “recycled running shoes” to mean shoes containing materials derived from recycled sources, but the wording was misleading, and the exact landing page the ad linked to could not be identified.
The rulings follow earlier 2025 fashion-sector rulings involving Nike Retail BV and Supergroup Internet Ltd, under the CAP Code requirement that environmental claims be clear and substantiated.
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