Over and over again, in articles and conferences and interviews, authoritative industry members declare it with absolute certainty. It appears as gospel in outlets as varied as Fast Company and The Guardian. It played a prominent part in a feature-length documentary.

What is it?

The definitive, and damning, pronouncement that the fashion industry is the second most polluting industry in the world. It’s so shocking, so catchy and so easy to believe. There’s only one problem.

“It is not factually true,” said Jason Kibbey, the chief executive of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition.

At the close of a year when lies and so-called alternative facts have dominated the conversation; when “misinformation” was chosen as the word of the year by Dictionary.com; and when the reduction of difficult issues to the most tweet-able black-and-white assertions has distorted perception, it’s time to put an end to this particular eco-myth once and for all. Only then can we really grapple with the actual problem in all its complicated, multifaceted reality.