Clothing and textiles

The clothing industry

The clothing and textile industry is one that we all rely on to keep up to date with the latest fashion trends. However, our love for fashion comes at a cost.

The fashion industry is responsible for between 8-10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. This means that producing and transporting new clothes is more environmentally damaging than both the aviation and shipping industries combined.

Almost half of all unwanted clothing, towels, blankets and other textiles gets thrown into general waste at home every year in the UK. This equates to around 35 items per person. 

Donating

The good news is that there are many ways to ensure our unwanted or unloved clothing doesn’t get thrown away unnecessarily.

Clothes and shoes that are in good condition can be donated to charity shops or clothing banks. If you can’t drop them off, many charities offer free collections right from your front door.

Many major clothing retailers such as H&M, Sainsburys, Schuh and Dunelm now run schemes where you can return old or unused clothing, shoes and other textiles. The items don’t always need to be from the same retailer and you may even receive money off new items.

You can find a full list of retailers that currently run such schemes by visiting Money Saving Expert. Recycle Now is great for finding your nearest donation bank.

Selling

You can earn a little extra cash by listing preloved clothes on reselling sites such as eBay, depop, Gumtree or Vinted. Purchasing from these sites will save you money and you’ll be helping reduce the amount of clothing being discarded unnecessarily. Why not visit the Cash for Clothes shop at Meteor Centre Retail Park, where you can earn instant cash for any unwanted clothing and shoes, along with other household items? 

Repairing or swapping

Another way to extend the lives of our clothes is to repair and mend them where possible by going to a repair café. You can even repair something at home using free guides online like this one, or just invite your friends round for a mini-clothes swap at your house whenever your wardrobe is in need of freshening up.