Sustainability Messaging in the Clothing Industry

Abstract

The circular economy is an economic system that encourages resource productivity by eliminating waste and pollution through a design process where materials are reused. It’s no secret that earth’s resources are diminishing, while the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is increasing. Because of this the circular economy is becoming more popular as a new way to think about products and consumption. Many companies are trying to figure out how to rethink their products to be used again and how to design out waste. This thesis will be investigating the rhetoric behind sustainability messaging in the clothing industry. Specifically, I will be looking at the messaging strategies of Columbia Sportswear, Patagonia and H&M and evaluating how they communicate the company’s “sustainable” actions. All three of these companies advertise themselves as being environmentally friendly, however, textile production has an adverse effect on the earth. Furthermore, all the companies incorporate aspects of the circular economy into production processes. This is most notable through the companies clothing recycling programs, and the messaging to reduce, reuse and recycle. I will also be conducting focus groups to evaluate how the advertisements effect the perceptions of the target audience.