The fast fashion industry has become a significant contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, with their environmental impacts reaching highly alarming levels. This report aims to delve into my process of content creation for spreading awareness on this issue, through blog posting, website creation and Twitter posting to shed light on the detrimental effects of this industry on our planet.
Studies have shown that Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GGE) are responsible for emitting millions of tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, accounting for approximately 10% of the global carbon dioxide outflow (Kaikobad NK, 2015). The primary driver of these emissions is the energy-intensive manufacturing phase, which involves various stages, including fabric production, dyeing, cutting, sewing, and packaging. Additionally, the transportation of vast quantities of clothing items further contributes to the carbon footprint of the fast fashion industry. The release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses contributes to climate change, leading to rising global temperatures, disrupted weather patterns, and increased occurrences of natural disasters. Furthermore, the environmental consequences extend beyond greenhouse gas emissions and include pollution from chemical dyes, water depletion, and waste generation.
Direct action needs to be addressed to mitigate the impact of fast fashion, this can be achieved by implementing a range of strategies that reduce the environmental footprint. Below are direct actions which should be considered:
Promoting sustainable fashion: encouraging consumers to support brands that prioritise sustainability and ethical practices, by choosing clothing made from organic, recycled or sustainable material, consumers can contribute to reducing the impacts of fast fashion.
Embracing slow fashion: this approach focuses on the conscious consumption of timeless pieces, repairing and upcycling clothing to avoid the constant cycle of purchasing trends and disposable items.
Advocacy for policy changes: Lobbying for stricter regulations and policies that promote sustainability within the fashion industry is an effective way to drive systemic change. This can include advocacy for fair trade, waste management, and carbon reduction targets.
Engaging with industry stakeholders: Collaborating with fashion brands, manufacturers, and industry associations is essential for driving change.
Encouraging and supporting these stakeholders to adopt sustainable practices.
By taking direct action through these strategies, we can collectively work towards minimising the environmental impacts fast fashion has upon the world, preaching a sustainable and more ethical fashion industry.
Action
Equipped with a strong understanding of the effects of the fast fashion industry based on my research, I created a website to share my knowledge and engage audiences on this topic.
This project required me to make social media content to spread awareness of fast fashion’s rising GGE and to ensure a consistent message and theme was being portrayed, I came up with the name ‘Down to the Wire, With Attire’. This website showcases my blog posts and other helpful resources to raise awareness of the negative impacts of the fast fashion industry.
Through the courses of the week in BCM, my tasks were to ensure I stayed on top of my weekly goals and aspirations for the project. Below I've showcased my timeline for this project created in the first pitch.
When evaluating my timeline, you can see the methodology of how this task was going to be completed. While I placed a big focus on posting consistently across channels, in week 4 I decided to go down a slightly different path and use Twitter as my main social media.
The Initial timeline proposed did not end up reflecting exactly how I went about this assessment. I initially built my website before deciding what content it would showcase, which in the end worked in my favour as I gathered new ideas throughout the process and was able to build the website to match this.
Method
To direct users to my website and raise awareness, my final chosen channel for content posting was Twitter. Twitter advertising for startup brands and organisations can be an extremely influential tool for increasing reach and meeting goals (Faster Capital 2023), therefore this was my main consistent social media platform. The posting on Twitter started quite slow and bloomed late, only posting nearing the end weeks of the semester. My approach to tweeting was sharing a call to action to read my blog post followed by using Chat GPT to generate comments and tweets summarising and evaluating facts on my blog posts (see below). This method was effective in generating content-based comments and applied to be a beneficial approach for this project.
To commence this DA, a huge focus was on utilising the best media platforms to educate consumers on these negative effects of fast fashion. To exist as a knowledge base of all information, I decided to use a website. To ensure the website was engaging and relevant, I needed to analyse competing pages and research what else was out there in the market. Through this, I looked at other pages promoting the negativity of fast fashion and highlighted relevant strengths and weaknesses. This ensured my website was engaging and met the needs of the current market.
The research highlighted that one of the most beneficial aspects of my website is that the content is targeted to a specific market of people located within the south coast, exploring the ideas of how and what individuals can do as consumers and shoppers in the Illawarra region.
This target market was chosen purposefully to stop people from buying clothes from cheap manufacturers online is an extremely hard thing to promote Australia-wide, with nearly 52% of internet users in the country between 16 and 64 making online purchases in 2022 (Commission Factory). Therefore I needed to focus on slowly and gradually diminishing these habits in a specific region.
In terms of the website's content, the first blog post titled ‘Building Stronger Communities: Exploring the Advantages of Local Clothing Production’ takes a significant approach to the exploration of shopping and manufacturing locally. This blog post delves into the various advantages of supporting local clothing production, highlighting the positive impact it has on building stronger communities. By focusing on this topic, the blog post aims to educate and inform readers about the benefits of shifting towards locally sourced and manufactured clothing.
Another important tip that is highlighted on my website is to buy clothes that last and do not always subscribe to the trends of the current moment. According to a survey commissioned by credit card company Barcley, 9 per cent of shoppers in the UK admitted to purchasing clothes strictly for promotion on Instagram. After the picture was taken and posted, they returned the item. This practice is not sustainable and is part of the greater problem, therefore choosing these topics is extremely important to get into the minds of the consumer.
Well-researched knowledge of Illawarra's thrift and manufacturing scene is shown within the ‘Near You’ segment of the website, where I list the best places to go thrift shopping and provide an interactive map with local manufacturers in the region. This aims to deter audiences from subscribing to microtrends and instead support sustainable and ethical fashion options within their community.
According to Harper's Bizaar, despite consumers wanting to support sustainable fashion, the industry is becoming more and more confusing due to greenwashing (Davis, 2023).
By promoting these local clothing manufacturing options, the website aims to empower consumers to make conscious choices, rethink their online clothing purchases, and contribute to a more sustainable and locally-focused fashion industry.
Trajectory and limitations
The limitations of my content can be seen throughout my Twitter posting. Making the account late I limited myself to a wider range of variety within my content. Only having a small number of posts with not enough information to formally promote and create effective awareness of my DA. This can be resolved next time by staying on top of my work. My Twitter account also hasn't gained enough awareness with only 6 followers, although I did share this on my main Twitter page (as seen below) I was unable to gain the follower base needed to market my DA at the predicted standard.
More limitations can be seen throughout my blog posts on the website, these posts could have been longer and provided more information on the steps people can take to move away from supporting the fast fashion industry.
Going into further detail and providing a walk-through could have potentially given the audience more knowledge on the small steps they can incorporate into their day-to-day lives.
Overall the limitations create greater ideas of what's needed for future projects, the ability to adapt and overcome stated issues such as better marketing awareness techniques as well as providing more information on what daily reduction steps people can do at home will make sure of a better assignment next time.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this report emphasises the urgent need for action to address the GGE caused by the fast fashion industry. Through blog posts, website content, and Twitter posts, the project aimed to raise awareness about the environmental impacts of fast fashion and promote sustainable alternatives. The focus on local clothing production and thrift shopping in the Illawarra region showcased the advantages of supporting local businesses and making conscious fashion choices. Despite limitations in content depth and follower engagement on Twitter, the project highlights the importance of taking steps towards a more sustainable and ethical fashion industry. By spreading awareness and encouraging positive change, we can work towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions and creating a more sustainable future.
Audio Content
References
28 of our favourite sustainable brands to support now (2023) Harper’s BAZAAR. Available at: https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/fashion/what-to-wear/g19491797/the-best-and-still-chic-sustainable-brands/ (Accessed: 04 June 2023).
FasterCapital (no date) Twitter marketing for startups get more followers and engagement, Twitter Marketing for Startups Get More Followers and Engagement. Available at: https://fastercapital.com/content/Twitter-Marketing-for-Startups--Get-More-Followers-and-Engagement.html (Accessed: 04 June 2023).
Ltd, C.F.P. (no date) Commission Factory Affiliate Marketing Blog. Available at: https://blog.commissionfactory.com/author/commission-factory (Accessed: 04 June 2023).
Snap and send back (no date) Barclaycard. Available at: https://home.barclaycard/press-releases/2018/08/snap-and-send-back/ (Accessed: 04 June 2023).