Ads for fast fashion will no longer appear on Bristol's council-owned billboards and bus stops, making it the first ban of its kind in the United Kingdom.
Here's what to know
Under a vote by Bristol councilors, council-controlled ad spaces can no longer be used for fast-fashion marketing built around steep markdowns, short-run offers, influencer-led campaigns, "drops," and Black Friday sales, according to the BBC. The same policy also blocks advertising tied to nonelectric cars, flights, cruise holidays, travel agents, SUVs, airports, and fossil-fuel producers or suppliers.
The restrictions cover every bus stop in Bristol and some standalone city-center screens in locations where the council controls ad placement. Vapes are included too, except when featured in public health campaigns. The decision is intended to curb marketing that encourages excessive consumption and pollution.
Deputy council leader Heather Mack said she was "thrilled that this green political priority is being fulfilled." She said: "Advertising is basically the art of manipulation … and it forces itself upon all of us all of the time, and we all know the impact that has on our well-being and mental health."
Sheffield and Edinburgh have already adopted similar rules on car and travel advertising, the BBC reported, but Bristol is the first U.K. city to explicitly include fast fashion. The ban was proposed by the Adfree Cities network, co-founded in Bristol by Nicola Wilks.
"These products should not be normalized through advertising," Wilks said. "As a Bristol resident who cares deeply about climate change and air pollution, I am proud that Bristol has gone even further than other U.K. councils in curbing polluting ads. It feels like common sense."
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More background
Ultra-cheap, rapidly produced clothing has been linked to rising carbon pollution, heavy water use, and mounting waste, while workers across global supply chains often bear the burden through low pay and poor working conditions.
The policy is designed to make high-carbon products and services less visible and to promote more climate-friendly companies, behavior, and decisions.
At the meeting, Conservative councilor John Goulandris said he was "very uneasy," according to the BBC, and added: "I wonder where this ends. I'm surprised you haven't said you're going to ban Christmas, because Christmas is a time of huge consumption; it's very bad for the environment."
Council officers estimated the change could reduce annual income by around £80,000 ($107,000). However, similar warnings about lost revenue did not come true when the council banned junk food advertising.
What's being done?
Welcoming the move, Anna Bryher, the policy lead at Labour Behind the Label, told the BBC: "Advertising accelerates ultra-fast cycles of clothing, with increased emissions, excessive water use, and poor working conditions for garment workers. Removing this type of ad is a brilliant step toward slowing down fast fashion."
The council would like to ban "unsustainable food" advertising next. But that hinges on an agreed definition, which is expected by May.
Green Party Hackney mayor Zoë Garbett has pledged to ban advertising for meat and dairy products, but so far there has not been a vote or any forward movement.
Where can I learn more?
Read more about city advertising bans, artificial intelligence-made campaigns, and other public ad controversies.
• In Scotland, councilors approved a ban on SUV ads and fossil-fuel promotions.
• Flixbus faced backlash after an AI-created bus ad left viewers baffled.
• A passenger was stunned by an ad on the bus that blocked the window view.
• Drivers warned that oversized truck ads in traffic could create dangerous distractions.
• In Utah, residents blasted mobile street ads with cameras as dystopian and intrusive.
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