Helping promote sustainability in fashion 

The fashion industry is responsible for creating over 10% of the world’s total global emissions. There is strong evidence to show that sustainability is a pressing industry challenge and a growing societal concern. 

So how could Australian surf brand, Piping Hot educate consumers and build awareness in this space to help elevate their brand and promote increased industry adoption?

Sustainable fashion practices are actively increasing but challenges around greenwashing and the promotion of misleading or false sustainability practices are widespread (ACCC, 2023).

The large number of companies falsely promoting sustainable practices has negatively impacted those that are making significant progress. Although they are doing the right thing, the significant scrutiny on companies as a result of greenwashing has made sustainability a particularly hostile environment to operate in. Consequently, many fashion companies that are reducing environmental impact are hesitant to promote their practices out of fear of public scepticism and scrutiny.

Amy Low, Brand and Marketing Director of Piping Hot commented, “Greenhushing is a practice that we were trying to overcome. It exists because organisations see sustainable claims as being a risk that isn't worth overcoming, as it is not a strong enough determinant for commercial success. There is also a lot of evidence to say that consumers simply don't care. But part of that is a lack of knowledge and education.”

Industry partnership

To address the issue, Piping Hot presented final year UTS Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation (BCII) students with the following challenge: “How might we overcome greenwashing with a consumer education program to protect oceans and demystify sustainable choices?”

The BCII program is a unique double degree that combines 28 disciplines from across UTS. It encompasses high-level critical and creative thinking, invention, complexity, innovation, scenario building, and entrepreneurship wrapped around industry partner challenges over four years of study.

For Piping Hot, partnering with a transdisciplinary group of BCII students in the Industry Innovation Project (IIP) was a no-brainer. This award-winning, 13-week-long subject sees final year BCII students partnering with an organisation to deep-dive into a challenge space faced by said organisation.

There was something exciting about getting a perspective that wasn’t jaded and industry-specific.

— Amy Low, Brand and Marketing Director, Piping Hot

Fresh perspectives

BCII students are well-versed in blue-sky thinking. Hypothetical questions like, “What could we do if all barriers were removed?” foster an environment that is rich in creative ideation. As part of the research process, students met with several key stakeholders to have these imaginative conversations.

We don’t often get to have big blue-sky conversations. The discovery sessions led by students saw them facilitate different directions and possibilities.

— Amy Low

Interviewing multiple stakeholders meant the students were grappling with diverse perspectives and views. The competing perspectives of complex problems are often what makes them so difficult to solve but also enticing to work on.

“As they are often siloed, organisations frequently struggle to identify universal problems and challenges. It’s much easier in an organisation to stay in your own department and see the problem from individual perspectives. The wonderful thing about BCII is the way the students were able to take these differing views, reframe the challenge and present it back in a universal way.” Amy reflects.

Spend 80% of your time in the problem and 20% of your time in the solution

This is one of the first learnings students receive in the Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation. Although Amy admits this “felt uncomfortable because this is not how Piping Hot usually tackles a challenge”. The results highlighted new insights that they hadn’t previously considered.

According to research, second-hand shopping is extremely popular amongst Gen Z. The reasons for this are often thought to be environmental, but the student’s findings suggested otherwise:

Gen Z who are shopping second-hand are not necessarily doing it because of sustainability. They’re doing it mainly because of affordability, and because they want something that is unique and looks cool.

The challenge then shifts to enlightening Gen Z on the role the fashion industry has in environmental sustainability and how Piping Hot is working in this space.

Amy reflects on their previous marketing strategy stating, “We had a strong focus on the detail and the science around fashion sustainability practices. What the student’s findings have shown us is that our audiences aren’t ready for that detail yet. We first need to lay the foundation of understanding sustainability”, continues Amy.

Surprising benefits

The impact of the Industry Innovation Project is typically long-lasting for both students and partners.

Piping Hot’s dream to shine light on the negative side of this industry is incredibly inspiring. If I find something in the future that I am passionate about, I’ll reflect on this experience, remembering there are many ways to make positive change both large and small. 

— Holly Rewell, 4th-year UTS Business and BCII student

For Piping Hot, some of the benefits of the project were surprising. Yes, there was the injection of fresh insights and perspectives - but there was also a re-energising of their team.

Amy reflected “It was a good experience for our team to be reminded of the value of our purpose. It reminded us why we do what we do.”

Next steps

Amy will utilise the fresh insights that the students presented to inform and evolve the company strategy and key messaging. The lasting impact of this project was the mindset shifts for Amy and her team – trying to operate more as if “there are no silos, no boundaries, no formal system and no set way of doing things.”

Piping Hot are committed to improving sustainability in their products and to push industry to adopt more sustainable practices. The outcomes from the Industry Innovation Project will help Piping Hot continue to advocate for and evolve their sustainability initiatives for positive environmental impact and commercial success.

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Thank you to Piping Hot and Amy Low for your commitment to Transdisciplinary School and your participation in the Industry Innovation Project 2024!

Congratulations on an exceptional project!

• Hannah Higgins, BCII/Communications, Journalism
• Matt Neilson, BCII/Engineering, Mechanical Engineering
• Holly Rewell, BCII/Business, Finance
• Cheren Stuparu, BCII/Engineering, Mechatronic Engineering
• Keily Ting, BCII/ Design, Interior Architecture
• Abigail Woods, BCII/ Science, Environmental Science