With the price of fashion falling all the time, it’s become easier than ever for many people to buy new clothes on a monthly or even weekly basis. And when fashions change so quickly, the longevity of an item of clothing is shorter than ever. Many fashion followers wouldn’t dream of wearing last season’s outfits. But what happens to all of the old clothes we throw away? Well sadly, many end up in landfill. In fact, studies have shown that every year in the UK around 2.35 million tonnes of clothing and textiles are wasted with up to 30kg per person going to landfill.
So how can you play your part in cutting the amount of perfectly good clothes that are thrown away each year? Here are some ideas.
- Mend clothes instead of throwing them away
- Rather than buying new outfits, update your old ones by creating new combinations or accessorising in different ways
- Recycle old clothes by donating them to charity rather than throwing in the bin
- Hold clothes swapping parties with your friends
- Check you don’t already own something similar before buying a new item
As well as cutting the amount of clothes you throw away, it’s also important to think about how to care for your clothes. You can help the environment by washing clothes at low temperatures and let them dry naturally rather than using an electric dryer.
For ideas on how to mend or reinvent your old clothes, take a look at www.make-do-and-mend.org/