5 Ways to Reduce Our Contribution to Fast Fashion

1. Buy fewer clothes.

It has been estimated that £140 million worth of clothing ends up as landfill waste every year, according to sustainability organisation WRAP. The amount of unused clothing in wardrobes have been valued at £30 million. (1)

Before you buy think to yourself do I need or really want this? We are all guilty of impulse buying. Have a think and wait about a week before you made a decision. Buying fewer clothes is a good way to spend more money.

2. Find clothes in charity shops or second-hand stores.

Second-hand shops are a great way to support charitable causes and reduce the number of new clothes being manufactured. Many items are unique so it’s a great way to find some treasures.

{Clothes and accessories were found in a second-hand charity shop // Jacket — £6, hoodie — £3}

3. Check labels on the clothing.

Another way to shop responsibly is to check what the clothing is made out of. A one-year study by Plymouth University in 2016, showed that more than 700,000 microscopic fibres could be released each time a washing machine is used, many of which will leak into the environment and eventually the ocean. “An average washing load could release 137,951 fibres from polyester-cotton blend fabric, 496,030 fibres from polyester and 728,789 from acrylic.” (2)

Advice: Only wash clothes like jeans if necessary, try to hand wash synthetic materials or if you can avoid buying them.

4. Research the ethics of the clothing brand.

If you’re looking to be more fashion-conscious, find out about the brand’s ethics. Some big clothing brands don’t pay their factory workers a decent wage so do some research as it may help your decision making.

5. DIY — Learn how to repair or restyle your clothes

The internet is a great place to find videos and articles on how to fix or restyle your clothes! Instead of throwing clothes away or giving to charity, which may not end up on the shop floor, try something new by transforming and upgrading your clothes!

Here is an example from Youtuber Neva Rose on how to upcycle different styles of clothing:

References:

WRAP. Clothing: What is the impact of clothing? {https://www.wrap.org.uk/content/clothing-waste-prevention}.

Williams, A. (2016) Washing clothes releases thousands of microplastic particles into environment, study shows.

{https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/news/washing-clothes-releases-thousands-of-microplastic-particles-into-environment-study-shows}.