By Melissa Corkhill
17th April 2017
A predicted 235m items of Britons’ unwanted clothing are expected to end up in landfill unnecessarily this spring, according to new research.
Three-quarters of consumers admit to binning their discarded garments, usually because they do not realise that worn-out or dirty clothes can be recycled or accepted by charities, a survey of 2,000 people commissioned by the supermarket Sainsbury’s has found.
Consumers are expected to get rid of 680m pieces of clothing as they spring-clean their wardrobes, the survey shows. However, the annual fashion detox will be damaging for the environment, with a staggering 235m of the garments expected to end up in landfill. People will dispose of an average of 19 items, with seven going straight in the bin.
The study also uncovered the reasons people do not donate or recycle clothing, with 49% saying they did not think they could because the clothes were worn out or dirty. A further 16% said they did not have time to visit a charity shop, or could not be bothered to sort items, while 6% did not realise clothing could be recycled.
The government’s waste advisory body Wrap has set up the Love Your Clothes website to give advice on choosing clothing designed to last longer, buying second-hand clothes, using energy-efficient laundry methods that keep clothes looking good, as well as donating, swapping or selling unwanted items. The site also shows how clothes too damaged to be worn can still be donated for recycling instead of ending up in the bin.
Read the full report at The Guardian
