Copywriting for Sustainable Brands
Let’s look at content writing for sustainable brands.
Sustainability is a HUGE topic.
Especially, when it comes to fashion.
I’ve noticed a massive ramp-up in sustainable, vegan, eco-friendly fashion brands in the industry over the last few years. And the customers are responding in their droves.
No longer can we ignore the impact the fashion industry is having on the planet.
There are some seriously sobering facts that, if you didn’t know already, might make you think twice about whether you’re interested in sustainable fashion or not.
Fashion Industry Impact on The Environment - Stats
The fashion industry is the 2nd largest polluter of the planet.
90% of wastewater in developing countries is dispersed into water sources without being treated which is harmful to humans, animals and the land.
100 million people in India do not have access to clean and safe drinking water. Yet, 85% of these people could be provided for with the water used to grow cotton in the same country.
190,000 tonnes of textile microplastic fibres end up in the oceans every year from clothing and textiles.
Only 15% of our clothing is currently recycled or reused.
£140 million of clothing goes into landfills every year.
25% of industry resources are wasted as fabric and garment leftovers.
400% more carbon emissions are produced if we wear something 5 times rather than 50.
New clothes bought in the UK create more carbon emissions per minute than driving around the world 6 times over. – More than 2 tonnes of clothing bought per minute, producing nearly 50 tonnes of carbon emissions.
90% of Mongolia is facing desertification from dry, unusable land due to overproduction of cashmere.
Degraded soils from this issue will lead to 30% LESS food production in the next 20-30 years. Despite a growing population and demand for MORE food.
70 million trees are cut down every year. For clothes.
Stats from Sustain Your Style, British Fashion Council and Fashion United.
And trust me when I say, that’s just the start of it.
So, why am I interested in copywriting for sustainable brands?
I’ve been working with several sustainable brands for the last couple of years. I’ve worked with eco-friendly repurposed cosmetics brands, vegan fashion boutiques and sustainably-sourced luxury labels.
And I love their vision.
These brands explore the fashion world in a completely different way. They think sustainable supply chain-first and work their way back to design. Instead of trying to force an unsustainable supply chain from a design idea that, perhaps, should never have been.
Sustainable fashion brands care about the planet, the environment, the future. But they also care about style and conscious, intelligent shopping.
So, while I love to do writing for sustainable fashion brands because of the ethics behind the labels, it’s also a little selfish. It’s also because I find them incredibly creative and innovative. And did I mention, pretty AF?
Do I have any expertise?
Well, I’ve worked in the industry for a fair few years now. Let’s just say over a decade. So, I’ve seen many a shift and change in the industry - as it happens.
I also have a real passion for sustainable and eco-friendly design which means I spend a fair amount of my spare time researching and reading. Looking for new and creative ways to continue the legacy of the fashion world without ruining the rest of the world.
This interest in sustainability also led me to sign up to one of the London College of Fashion’s latest online courses – Fashion and Sustainability: Understanding Luxury Fashion in a Changing World.
Having just completed the course, this is what I really wanted to log on to talk about today.
Anyone remotely interested in how we’re going to right the fashion industry’s wrongs, I would highly recommend signing up for this course. And it’s FREE!
Packed with thought-provoking videos and audios from experts and designers that LCF have partnered up with, the course is very eye-opening while remaining inspiring.
They partnered up with Kering to create this course which means that many of the expert tutors are in fact, Kering heads of department.
Covering everything environment-focused, such as water pollution, consumption and waste, fair trade, climate change and biodiversity, the course is packed with insights, issues, solutions and innovations to inspire the industry from a design perspective.
What now?
Moving forward, I’ll be making some pretty drastic changes to the way I shop.
But when it comes to my work, I’d love to continue working with sustainable fashion brands and find even more labels to work with.
If you have a sustainable fashion, beauty or lifestyle brand and need copywriting or content creation for your website or social channels, let’s talk.
I’ve now added a page focused on writing for sustainable brands to my list of copywriting and content services.
Or you can email me directly at kate@lifestylecopywriting.co.uk.
Until next time…
