A SOCIAL MARKETING INTERVENTION MODEL TO INFLUENCE THE SOCIAL ACCEPTANCE OF NATURAL DYES, FROM DOMESTIC FOOD WASTE RESOURCES IN MEXICO WITHOUT METALLIC CHEMICAL ADDITIVES FOR TEXTILE DYEING

This research proposes a social marketing intervention model to educate and thus influence a behavioural change in Mexican females from 18 to 33 years old towards the acceptance of natural dyes from domestic food
waste resources without metallic chemical additives. The foundations of this research are the water and food waste situation in Mexico. This study includes experimental work with Allium Cepa (onion) skin as an example of a Mexican food waste resource to analyse its performance as a natural dyestuff without metallic chemical additives on cotton and re-frames the design problem, challenging what has previously been considered to be suitable by the market with regards to natural dyed textiles such as colour strength and colour fastness. The study investigates the social acceptance towards natural dyed textiles with limited colour strength and colour fastness, embracing the limitations of the process as an opportunity to personalise the end garment and take ownership of the creative process, rather than using metallic chemical additives that could affect Mexico´s waterways adversely.

The survey utilised to collect data, shows that for Mexican females from 18 to 33 years old the environmental impacts of metallic chemicals are more important, than the colour strength and colour fastness of a garment. This validates the hypothesis of the study, which is the following: If consumers become aware of the environmental impact that is made through the use of synthetic dyes, they eventually become more receptive to embrace the limitations of the use of natural dyes without metallic chemical additives such as lack of colour strength, standardisation and durability when compared to synthetic dyes. The novelty of this study is a social marketing intervention model in the transition design domain in which co-design was identified as the channel by which the target audience could translate their acceptance of natural dyes from domestic food waste resources without metallic chemical additives into action by becoming co-designers of their own natural dyed garments. While, DIY re-dye activity, and customisation were identified as the promotion (strategic tools) in the model that could influence the attraction of the target audience.