The fashion industry accounts for around 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions per year. Cheap fabrics like polyester, nylon, polyamide and acrylic fibres omit tiny pollutants into our water systems both during manufacture and washing too! We should therefore be looking at whether we really do need that new dress, top, suit, or fleece and understand the fabrics we are purchasing and their impact on the environment.
With around 350,000 tonnes of clothing going to landfill every year, what we do with clothing we no longer want or need matters as well!
Before we buy new or throw an item of clothing away it’s worth thinking about the following. Can we:
Mend a much loved piece of clothing?
Borrow or trade with friends?
Re-purpose an existing item?
Buy from a charity shop?
Hand-down items to other people or families?
Give good quality but unneeded items to charity?
Look for sustainably produced fashion?