Summary
In 2025, Ireland's Department of Climate, Energy and Environment launched the "Reverse the Trend" campaign, paying five content creators—Joanne Mooney, King Ye, Laura de Barra, PJ Kirby, and Siomha Ni Ruairc—a total of €44,280 (about $50,000) to encourage female audiences aged 16 to 34 to buy fewer clothes, rewear, repair, and swap, in order to reduce textile waste. The campaign is part of public education investment under Ireland's circular economy policy, funded under the Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy 2020–2025.

Key Points

  • Ireland's Department of Climate, Energy and Environment paid five content creators a total of €44,280, about $50,000, for "Reverse the Trend."
  • The campaign targets women aged 16 to 34, with core advice to buy less, rewear, repair, swap, and share.
  • Officials say the campaign is based on the Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy 2020–2025 and also points to official information channels such as MyWaste.ie.

Paying Influencers Just to Get People to Buy Fewer Clothes
According to Extra.ie, Ireland's Department of Climate, Energy and Environment launched a campaign called "Reverse the Trend" in 2025. In contrast to the usual promotional selling, the five content creators involved—Joanne Mooney, King Ye, Laura de Barra, PJ Kirby, and Siomha Ni Ruairc—were tasked with persuading audiences to reduce clothing purchases. The total amount paid by the government was €44,280, close to $50,000.

Who It Targets
The main target of the campaign is women and girls aged 16 to 34. Officials explained that content creators can "reach new audiences, build trust, and amplify important messages." Behind this choice is concern by Ireland's Environmental Protection Agency and regional waste management offices about consumers buying large quantities of low-priced clothing and quickly discarding it.

How the Waste Bill of Fast Fashion Adds Up
Ireland's Department of Climate, Energy and Environment cites research showing that many people still do not understand the environmental cost of clothing. Textiles have become a prominent waste problem in Ireland and globally: producing and transporting clothes consumes water, energy, chemicals, and raw materials, while garments with very short lifespans often quickly end up in landfills or incinerators. Keeping clothing in circulation and in use longer is seen as one way to reduce waste.

Policy Foundation and Specific Advice
The department said textiles are a priority area in the government's circular economy planning, and the Waste Action Plan for a Circular Economy 2020–2025 is one basis for funding public education on this issue.

The advice offered by the campaign is not complicated: buy less when you can; wear the clothes you already own for longer; consider repairing, swapping, or sharing instead of immediately replacing. Officials also hope to use the campaign to direct the public to credible information sources, including MyWaste.ie, the Irish Environmental Protection Agency website, and the department's own textiles page. The campaign targets the consumption decision before clothing is discarded.

Implications for the Industry
This represents a policy orientation: on the textiles side, public funds are beginning to flow toward consumer-side education about "reducing new purchases," rather than only focusing on end-of-pipe recycling and disposal. For secondhand resale, repair, and clothing swap businesses, official discourse directly links "extending the life cycle of clothing" with circular economy goals, meaning these models are regarded in policy narratives as one path to solving textile waste.

Source: Ireland spent thousands on influencers to convince young shoppers to buy fewer clothes · Originally published on 2026-10-06