Introduction
The fashion industry is a major contributor to the ongoing pollution of our planet today. Government research estimates that textile and fashion production accounts for 20% of wastewater and 10 % of annual global carbon emissions, which is more than aviation and shipping combined.
Fast Fashion
The business model for the fashion industry actively encourages consumers to buy new designs not just every season but every week and to always be seen wearing different outfits.
One of the most significant opportunities to reduce carbon, water and waste is to increase the lifespan of our clothing.
Figures for UK textiles consumption show UK households spend an estimated £52.7bn a year on clothing – mostly garments (£47.39bn), clothing fabrics (£0.86bn) and clothing accessories such as ties, scarves, and gloves (£4.48bn).
This amounts to around 5% of total household spend, with a further £1bn spent on cleaning (such as dry cleaning), repair and hire of clothing.
Research, undertaken by WRAP, also showed that UK households continue to buy more clothing and that spending on clothing has increased by 3% a year on average in the five years to 2018.
Steps are being taken to improve sustainability, but we can take steps to help achieve a circular economy where products are used again and again. The power of this change lies with consumer buying behaviours, and to become aware of how to buy.
Even though 95% of discarded clothing can be reused or recycled, nearly 73% of it ends up being burnt or in a landfill.
What can you do
Reduce your consumption
- Buy only what you need.
- Wear what you have got for longer – extending the wear of a garment for nine months. can reduce the environmental impact by 20-30% (Can fashion ever be sustainable? – BBC Future).
- Swap unwanted clothing with family and friends.
- Try a swishing party.
- Buy second-hand or vintage clothing – try charity shops, and online platforms, and check if your children’s school sells second-hand uniforms.
- Buy the best quality you can within your budget and follow the care instructions on the label to prolong the life of the garment.
- Repair clothing. Somerset has a great set of repair groups, many of which can offer simple clothing repairs and use online guides (see below).
Sell it on
- Make some money by selling unwanted clothing. Reselling a cotton T-shirt second-hand – versus throwing it away – reduce its carbon impact by 14%.
- From eBay to Vinted (see below), there are lots of online ways to sell unwanted, good-quality clothes generating some cash while reducing the demand for new clothing.
- Care boot sales are another option, to find your nearest one try Carbootjunction.com
Pass it on
- Donate to charity shops, helping a good cause while giving clothes a second life use Charity Shop Locator to find out where you are nearest.
- Donate to textile banks or give unwanted clothing to family or friends.
- Declutter your wardrobe by giving away any unwanted items when you buy a new one.
- Use online platforms, like Freegle and Freecycle (see below).
Recycle
- Reuse is always best. If you can’t reuse your old clothing through the suggestions above, then reusable clothing and shoes can be taken to a recycling site.
They need to be of good enough quality to be worn again. - Check whether your local charity shop will accept ‘rags’ for recycling. If they do, always bag separately and clearly label.
Useful links
Repair Network
Somerset has a great set of community repair groups. Many offer simple sewing repairs for clothes, soft toys, and other fabric items, some may also help with knitwear depending on the skills of their volunteers. Find your local repair group. Contact them to see if they can help with a repair or if you want to volunteer with them.
Online repair guides
For example, Patagonia’s website offers DIY guides and repair services to keep your clothing going by repairing small fixes at home via repair videos and guides.
There are many online tutorials from a variety of sources, such as the Mending Jeans and Denim playlist by Repair What You Wear includes tutorials on how to mend tears in jeans by hand, patching with Sashiko methods, fixing ripped pockets by hand, how to fix frayed jean hem, how to decorate jeans with embroidery, how to replace a zipper.
Mend Your Knits: How to repair a hole in your sweater by Little Star CC
Nine ways to patch holes in clothes. Amazing embroidery stitches for beginners / Guide to sewing by Life Tips Plus, and How to repair holes in clothes with embroidery | Amazing clothing hole repair tricks – Let’s explore
How to fix a zip by The Clothes Doctor
Freegle
A British organisation offering a free online service where you can give away and ask for items that would otherwise be thrown away or go to landfill.
Freecycle
Freecycle is a classified ads site where you can give away unwanted items and receive items for free.
Marks & Spencer Shwopping
Donate your pre-loved M&S school uniform into the Shwop box in the M&S kidswear department in selected stores.
H&M garment recycling service
Get a £5 voucher for each bag of unwanted clothes you take to H&M stores for reuse and recycling.
Primark – Let your pre-loved be re-loved
Primark accepts unwanted clothing, textiles, bags, and footwear from any brand, in any condition at all 190 stores across the UK.
Vinted
Online marketplace for buying and selling clothes.
Ebay
Ebay is the home of preloved! Whether via the app or website. The eBay platform also comes with added buyer and seller protection through PayPal, so is safe to use, but does have added fees.
Facebook Market Place
Marketplace is a convenient destination on Facebook to discover, buy and sell items with people in your community.
Gumtree
Gumtree is a free classified ads site where you can buy and sell items.
Preloved
Preloved is a free classified ads site where you can buy and sell items split into 500 categories.
Shpock
Shpock works like your favourite boot sale – just easier. You can create your listing quickly by taking a picture, writing a title, a short description and setting a price.