Why are Clothes a Climate Issue? – with Stitched Up

It might not seem obvious at first glance, but the fashion industry can be bad news for the environment...it’s thought to be responsible for between 3-10% of global carbon emissions! (McKinsey & Company) – but why is this…?

Clothes are resource intensive

Making new clothes has a big impact on the planet’s resources! From the water that’s used to grow super thirsty crops like cotton, to the huge amount of fossil fuels that go into making synthetic materials like polyester, making clothes has a big environmental footprint.

We are producing and buying more clothes than ever before

The rise of ‘fast fashion’ has created a quicker turnaround of new styles and cheaper prices, which has led to us buying more than ever before. Lower prices can often mean lower quality, with items become misshapen, shrunken or bobbled within a few washes.

The fashion industry produces a lot of waste

The fashion industry wastes huge quantities of clothing at all stages of the supply chain and creates massive amounts of waste water too. Waste levels increase when we get the item home too - we wear our clothes an average of just 10 times and bin 11 million items a week in the UK alone! (Oxfam)

But what can you do? - Well it’s easier than you think!

Simply keeping your clothes in use for an extra 9 months can reduce their carbon, water and waste footprints by 20-30%. There are loads of ways to give your clothes a longer life, from swapping or handing down your unwanted garms, to washing less, and repairing them yourself, there are steps we can all take.