What will you be wearing next week?
Being a gentleman of a certain age, the latest fashion trends have long since passed me by. Jeans, jumper and thick coat in the winter. T-shirts, cargo shorts and sandals in the summer (no socks!) that's me.
I do recall however when I was a slave to the ever changing trends. I remember spending most of my income trying to keep up with the latest fashion. The amount of clothes I must have discarded along the way is frightening. For women the task of staying fashion compliant must be horrendous.
It is estimated that on average a consumer will waste £70.00 per year discarding clothing that could be re-used or recycled.
The question is, why do we do it and what is the unseen cost of changing our wardrobe along with the seasons?
Some Facts
Second to oil, the clothing and textile industry is the largest polluter in the world.
■ The textile industry is one of the top 3 water wasting industries in China, discharging over 2.5 billion tons of wastewater every year.
■ Extending the life of a garment by an extra nine months reduces its environmental impact by 20-30%.
■ Providing one tonne of clothing for direct re-use by giving it to a charity shop or selling it online can result in a net greenhouse gas saving of 11 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.
■ Up to 95% of the textiles that are land filled each year could be recycled.
■ 20,000 litres is the amount of water needed to produce one kilogram of cotton; equivalent to a single t-shirt and pair of jeans.
The fashion industry is trying to do something about the issue but it is us as consumers that need to do more.
Fashion a lifestyle for our children.
"Think before you throw"