As the Autumn leaves begin to fall, a different kind of shedding is taking place in wardrobes across the country, says our environmental writer Martin Cooper.

The book is called How to Break up with Fast Fashion by Lauren Bravo.The book is called How to Break up with Fast Fashion by Lauren Bravo. (Image: Lauren Bravo)

 

Last month was Secondhand September, a month-long challenge encouraging us not to buy new clothes, but embrace pre-loved fashion.

But this annual event is as important as ever, as we struggle with the environmental impact of our fast-fashion addiction.

Fast fashion is characterised by cheap, fashionable clothing produced and consumed rapidly, and it’s become a defining feature of modern consumerism. But at what cost?

According to the book, How to Break up with Fast Fashion, by author Lauren Bravo, global clothing production has roughly doubled in 15 years, and in the UK we send an estimated 350,000 tonnes of clothing to landfill each year, equivalent to the weight of more than 29,000 double-decker buses.

This wasteful cycle not only strains our landfills, but also contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and water pollution, not to mention the issues of the labour needed to produce these garments so cheaply.

It’s estimated that textile production produces 1.2 billion tonnes of CO2 per year – more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined.

Cotton is one of the worst offenders for an impact on our planet, with a single T-shirt taking around 2,700 litres of water to grow – enough drinking water to last a person three years, while plastic garments made from polyester, for example, can leave micro plastics not only in the landfill as it decomposes, but they release them into our waterways every time we wash our clothes.

Secondhand September, organised by Oxfam, offers an opportunity for us to think about an alternative, to consider what we buy and where we buy it from.

By choosing pre-loved items, we not only reduce waste, but it moves us away from disposable trends towards a more sustainable and mindful approach to the way we dress.

But what can we do beyond September to address this issue?

Considering the environment when we buy our clothes can help move us away from a throwaway culture, to one that values quality, longevity, and sustainability.  

By extending the life of our clothing by just nine months of regular wear, we would reduce the carbon, water and waste footprint by 20-30 per cent each.

So, remember it shouldn’t just be for the month, it should be something we consider whenever we need new clothes.