Fast fashion and buying better

Cheap, trendy clothes can be bought in a tap and binned in a season. Learning how fashion affects the planet helps you build a wardrobe you love, spend less, and still look good.

The footprint of your wardrobe

• UNEP says the fashion and textile industry produces 2 to 8 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
• UNEP describes fashion as the second-biggest consumer of water, and its annual water use as equal to 86 million Olympic-sized swimming pools.
• UNEP reports that a typical pair of jeans takes around 2,000 gallons (about 7,500 litres) of water to make, and that textile dyeing is the second largest polluter of water globally.
• Textiles are estimated to cause about 9 per cent of annual microplastic losses to the ocean (UNEP), mostly from synthetic fibres shedding in the wash.

The waste problem

• The Ellen MacArthur Foundation says that every second, the equivalent of a rubbish truck of clothes is burnt or buried in landfill.
• UNEP reports that the number of times a garment is worn has fallen by 36 per cent in 15 years, and that consumers buy 60 per cent more items than 15 years ago but keep each for half as long.
• Fast fashion depends on frequent new collections and low prices that encourage impulse buying.

Buying better: a checklist

• Before you buy, ask: will I wear this at least 30 times? Can I name three outfits it goes with? (This is a practical rule of thumb, not an official standard.)
• Buy less and choose better: UNEP's experts sum it up as 'less is always more'.
• Wait 48 hours before any online purchase that is not essential, and remove saved card details from shopping apps.
• Shop second-hand and swap: thrift shops, swap events with friends and resale apps keep clothes in use.
• Rent or borrow for one-off occasions such as weddings and graduations; UNEP notes that rental works best for occasion wear.

Make clothes last

• UNEP's advice is to keep clothing in use for longer to reduce its environmental footprint.
• Learn to sew on a button and fix a small seam; get shoes resoled rather than replaced.
• Wash only when needed, follow care labels, and air-dry where possible; less washing means less wear.
• When something no longer fits, pass it on, donate it if it is in good condition, or recycle textiles at a collection point.

Seeing through marketing

• Words like 'eco', 'green' or 'conscious' are not proof. Look for specific, checkable claims such as recycled content percentages.
• A 'sustainable' line from a brand that releases new collections every week is still part of a fast fashion model.
• The Ellen MacArthur Foundation's idea of circular fashion is clothes used for longer, designed to be remade, and made from safe, recycled or renewable materials.