A new initiative is actively encouraging the residents of Greater Manchester to become more aware of the environmental impact of their discarded clothing and textiles. This campaign, named Cotton On, has been launched by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s Recycle for Greater Manchester (R4GM) in partnership with an independent advertising agency.
The campaign, which commenced on Friday, 16th August, includes a range of radio, digital, and out-of-home advertisements. It aims to reach over 1,000,000 people throughout the summer and autumn months. Advertisements will be strategically placed in high-traffic retail areas such as the Arndale Centre, Merseyway Shopping Centre, Redrock, and the Trafford Centre to capture the attention of shoppers. Additionally, a two-week exhibition will take place in Stockport town centre, featuring a giant washing line displaying clothing and accessories suitable for recycling, as well as branded floor tiles and floor-to-ceiling advertisement boards.
Each year, thousands of tonnes of textiles are discarded in Greater Manchester, with 16,700 tonnes being thrown into general waste bins in 2023/24 alone. On average, each person in the UK disposes of 35 items of clothing annually, from socks with holes to worn-out t-shirts. Much of this waste stems from ‘fast fashion,’ characterised by cheaply made garments quickly discarded.
By urging its over 2.8 million residents to consider their waste habits, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority aspires for the region—historically central to the global cotton trade—to now contribute significantly towards a greener future. Councillor Tom Ross, the GMCA’s lead for Waste and Recycling, highlighted, ‘The thousands of tonnes of clothes and shoes being thrown away each year adds to our carbon emissions, damaging our ambitions to be carbon neutral by 2038. Under government plans, these extra carbon emissions will lead to increased costs for the GMCA and individual local authorities. It is great to see this campaign underway to raise awareness of what Greater Manchester residents can do with the unwanted or damaged clothes and shoes in their home and a fantastic example of what R4GM does to make recycling simple.’
The campaign not only aims to raise public awareness but also directs residents to a dedicated webpage on the Greater Manchester Combined Authority website. Here, they can find more information about the impact of recycling and locate their nearest clothing bank. Mike Cleary, founder and managing director of the advertising agency involved, commented, ‘We are delighted to be helping deliver the Cotton On recycling campaign alongside the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. Our team have crafted a campaign that will provide awareness, reach, and engagement within environments that will be relatable, such as the Trafford Centre and Stockport town centre while people are clothes shopping ahead of their summer holidays. Our new planning software will also be able to closely report on the impact the campaign is having by measuring how many people visit the clothes banks after being delivered a message, which will enable us and the Combined Authority to learn from live data and optimise the behavioural changes moving forward for future campaigns.’
As Greater Manchester strives for a sustainable future, the Cotton On campaign serves as a pivotal effort to educate and engage residents on the importance of recycling clothing and textiles. By fostering responsible waste disposal habits, the initiative aims to reduce environmental impact and contribute to the region’s carbon neutrality goals.
