Love your clothes

Every year an estimated 336,000 tonnes of used clothing goes to landfill in the UK. There is no need for any clothing or textiles to go into a bin. 

Currently, over 5% of the UK’s total annual carbon and water footprints result from clothing consumption. But if clothes stayed in active use for 9 months longer (extending their average life to around three years), this would reduce their carbon, water and waste footprints by 20-30%. 

As well as the environmental impact, putting clothes in the bin has a financial impact. An average of 75 tonnes of clothes are incorrectly put in Cambridgeshire recycling bins each month, costing taxpayers around £10,000 a month to remove and dispose of them. If they were passed on correctly, the clothes could raise around £19,000 for charity every month!

What can you do?

In the words of Vivienne Westwood, "Buy less. Choose well. Make it last." If you need to get rid of clothes then pass on, swap, sell, donate or recycle them at clothing banks - not in your wheelie bins.

For loads of advice and tips on looking after your clothes or refashioning them so they last longer visit the Love Your Clothes website.