Clothing choices don’t need to cost the earth

According to a recent article by Arabella Ruiz, the world produces 92 million tons of textile waste annually.  A whopping 87% of the materials used to make new clothing will end up in either incinerators or landfill, and only 1% of clothes will be recycled into new garments.

Waste is not the only issue, with almost 60% of all clothing material being plastic-based; this includes anything incorporating synthetic fibres, such as polyester, nylon and acrylic. Furthermore, each time a garment made from such materials is washed, tiny plastic microfibres are released into the water. As a result, up to 500,000 tons of microfibres end up in our seas and oceans annually.

Plus, as mentioned in a previous article, producing new clothes also affects water consumption, water pollution (linked to the use of certain dyes), and pesticide use (when growing cotton, for example).

What can we do to reduce our impact?

• Discover Slow Fashion, which encourages us to make choices that are kinder to the planet. Read more about it on the Oxfam website
• Support Second Hand September. The challenge is to buy only pre-loved and vintage clothing for the whole of the month.
• Avoid ordering lots of garments online. Research published in 2023 by the ‘Institute of Positive Fashion’ (part of the ‘British Fashion Council’) revealed that in the UK in 2022, 23 million returned garments were sent to landfill or incinerated – generating 750,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions. It is just too costly to put them back on the shelves. Since many consumers are apparently not swayed by the environmental messages put out to deter the increasing habit of over-ordering, some retailers are starting to charge to return items. (More info can be found in the Retail Gazette.
• Organise a ‘Swishing’ event, where you get together to swap unwanted clothing and accessories with friends, villagers or work colleagues. This could be used to raise money for a charity too. Many organisations give advice on setting up such events (see for example: https://funded.org.uk/advice-hub/how-to-guides/step-by-step-swishing1/).
• Be rewarded for donating clothing you’ve finished with; John Lewis, H&M and M&S have such schemes (check their websites for info).
• If you have surplus workwear, Nottingham Trent University is working with the local White Rose charity to create the award-winning Professional Student Wardrobe initiative to assist those who need smart clothing for career-related activities (interviews/internships etc.).

Do you have suggestions to contribute on this topic or sustainability in general?
Head over to the Orston Sustainability Hub (OSH) FaceBook group or check out our Instagram a/c (or contact Fiona Winfield/Julian Humpheson).