Over the past couple of weeks I’ve seen alot of influencers talk about the huge amount of waste which comes with PR packages. Many brands are trying harder to reduce their waste and have more eco-friendly products and packaging. Despite this movement toward a happier and healthier planet, it appears that many brands completely disregard their environmental conscious when it comes to advertising through PR/gifting. By putting pressure on brands to cut down on waste, influencers, even those who aren’t bothered about environmental issues, can help make a small step towards saving our planet.
A very obvious example of influencers receiving unnecessary amounts of products which will be wasted is when a new foundation or concealer product is released or reformulated. Generally it appears that make-up orientated influencers are often sent the whole collection of these products, including every shade. Most people usually use 1-2 shades from a foundation or concealer range, so, what is the need for them to be sent 20 or 30 different shades? While I’m sure a lot of this is gifted to friends or given away in a give away etc, surely a more ethical approach would be to send them out a few shades they would assume to be in their shade range. Taking myself for example, a fair skinned Caucasian, should be sent the few shades on the fair end of the spectrum rather than the entire range full of colours which will be forgotten about. Another approach would be to send influencers smaller sample sized products, if an influencers truly likes a product they can reach out to the brand and request a restock. If products are #gifted then an influencer is not obliged to mention it on their social media platforms, so if they do not like the product or don’t get the opportunity to use it, it means the company’s have saved themselves some dolla by sending a much smaller quantity, not to mention it’s less waste in general.
Another waste reducing idea I’d like to put out there is better aimed at clothing companies. When shopping online I often receive my delivery in a non recyclable plastic bag, when I open it up I can see that my clothes too are wrapped in this unrecycable plastic (I know speaking about online shopping is not sustainable, however, people are going to continue to do it, so it’s up to us to make the industry as a whole, more environmentally cautious). This individual bagging is the same for influencers who receive free clothing. Again this is just a complete waste! There is no need for clothes to be individual wrapped when instead they could simply be folded and added into one recyclable package. Another eco friendly way companies can reduce the waste sent out in PR is to encourage their influencers to donate their unwanted clothes or to sell them on depop and donate any money raised to charity. I recently seen an influencer who sells clothes she was gifted for free, for half the retail price and donate every cent made to charity which I think is a really cool idea to make sure no clothes go to waste.
Finally, I would like to bring up PR events. I personally love to watch influencers talking garbage, doing hauls and sharing their experiences at events. However, many of these events appear to use things which will all go to waste and could easily be supplemented for a more eco-friendly option, including (but not limited to), standard confetti (which can easily be swapped for a biodegradable version) plastic straws (can be swapped for paper ones, or else not given at all unless requested) pamphlets on each seat explaining the events timetabling or product release (could be swapped for a smaller number of posters around the room to reduce waste) and of course, balloons which can take 4 years to decompose. I’m a firm believer that every effort, small or big, can help, and by swapping out a few items at events, companies can make a huge impact in reducing waste.
While it is true that without receiving so many products for free or for financial benefit, influencers probably would not be able to purchase these products themselves. Without being able to purchase products, influencers would not be able to promote their favourite products or give their followers reviews (essentially leaving them jobless). As someone who loves to sit down and watch Youtube reviews and Instagram stories I know first hand how an influencers input can affect my purchasing decisions. I for one would love to see influencers join up with brands and encourage them to reduce their waste. By requesting to have less packaging with PR or more eco friendly events influencers can help large manufacturers do their part in helping the environment, which in the end, will benefit us all. I know for some people these ideas are basic but, I personally think they are essential in order to create a greener world. If you enjoyed this blog feel free to scroll down and read last weeks blog on building a sustainable wardrobe.
Chips Adventures 