BRISTOL BECOMES FIRST UK COUNCIL TO BAN FAST FASHION ADS

Bristol City Council has voted to ban advertising for fast fashion, becoming the first UK council to introduce such a restriction, according to the council. Its Strategy and Resources Committee approved the change by eight votes to one on Monday. The ban covers advertising space the council owns, including bus stop shelters, billboards and digital displays across the city. It also bans adverts for flights, cruise holidays, travel agents and fossil fuels; reports differ on whether the ban covers non-electric cars or SUVs.

The move follows a council review of advertising for high-carbon goods and services. It updates a 2021 policy that made Bristol the first council outside London to restrict adverts for gambling, payday lending and food or drink high in fat, salt and sugar. Bristol joins more than 20 UK councils that already restrict advertising for polluting products, according to the council, though none had previously banned fast fashion adverts. Cardiff, Edinburgh, Portsmouth and Sheffield are among other cities reported to have similar restrictions. A council survey found that 83% of residents said they were concerned about climate change.

Councillor Heather Mack, the council's deputy leader, called the policy "a win-win for the people of Bristol" and said the most polluting industries spend the most on advertising. She said advertising affects health, wellbeing, the climate and the local economy, and that the council would keep reviewing the policy. Carla Denyer, elected as the city's Green MP in 2024, said adverts for oil and gas firms, SUVs or fast fashion did not align with the council's work on transport, heating and energy. The Green party became Bristol council's largest party in 2024, the same year Denyer was elected, one report said.