Ads from Adidas, Uniqlo and Calvin Klein have been banned by the UK advertising watchdog over potentially misleading claims about recycled clothing and footwear.

The Advertising Standards Authority ruled against paid-for Google ads from all three fashion brands after finding that they had not provided enough evidence to support the environmental claims being made.

Adidas had promoted “recycled running shoes”, while Calvin Klein advertised “recycled” women’s tops. Uniqlo also ran ads for fleece coats and jackets made from “recycled materials”.

The ASA said consumers were likely to understand the claims to mean the products were made entirely from recycled materials unless further clarification was provided.

The watchdog said absolute environmental claims must be backed by a high level of evidence.

Adidas told the regulator that it did not have a specific recycled running shoe range, although certain products across its collections may include recycled materials.

Calvin Klein said some products in its women’s T-shirts and tops range included what it described as “environmentally preferred materials”, including recycled, organic and other materials. It argued that consumers would not reasonably assume the claim applied to every product in the range.

Uniqlo said shoppers were likely to understand that its products were made to a meaningful extent from recycled materials and said its claims were supported by an international certification scheme.

However, the ASA upheld the complaints against all three businesses.

ASA director of complaints and investigations Miles Lockwood said shoppers needed to be able to trust the environmental claims they see in advertising.

“When absolute terms like ‘recycled’ are used, the basis of those claims should be clearly explained and properly supported by evidence,” he said.

“Without that, there’s a risk that people could be misled.”

The rulings form part of a wider ASA investigation into green claims made by fashion retailers, as scrutiny intensifies around sustainability messaging in the sector.

In December, the regulator banned ads from Nike, Superdry and Lacoste after finding that they had misled consumers about the environmental credentials of their products.

The latest action underlines the growing pressure on fashion retailers to be more precise in how they present sustainability claims, particularly as shoppers become more aware of greenwashing.

Brands are increasingly using recycled fibres, lower-impact materials and circular fashion messaging to appeal to environmentally conscious consumers.

However, regulators are making clear that broad claims such as “recycled” or “sustainable” must be explained carefully and supported by product-level evidence.

The banned ads must not appear again in the same form.

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