How Ethical Recycling & Clothing Donation Can Together
In the last 12 months the UK alone has thrown away £12.5 billion worth of clothes and yet the NHS needs 4 billion a year and is only receiving £1.6 billion.
Clothing wastage is increasingly worrying. According to Oxfam In the UK we buy around 1.13 MEGA tonnes of clothes every year and only wear 44% of our wardrobe and thankfully some of the larger retailers manufacturers are now doing something about this.
Many companies including the fashion industry are now taking steps to produce clothing which is more environmentally friendly and this cause was highlighted recently by activist and actress Emma Watson when she wore a Calvin Klein dress to the Met Gala (New York) which had been ethically sourced and produced — in fact it was made from recycled bottles! Emma has said that she will only wear sustainable fashion to red carpet events from now on.
You can see her full interview here on
The Problem With Clothes Donation
Reports from the countries benefiting from clothing donation from overseas are reporting that it is a double edged sword with many local clothing manufacturers suffering due to influx of cheap clothing.
The Benefit of Clothes Donation
The clothing donated should go to those in need but it is also finding it’s way onto market stall stands too.
This means that the people that should have benefited from your donation don’t receive it for free, on the other hand they do receive cheap clothing and at the same time jobs are being created for those who decide to set up a market stall.
Why Should I Donate My Clothes For Recycling?
Here’s 5 good reasons why:
1) In the UK, around 300,000 tonnes of clothing is thrown in with the usual household rubbish end up in landfill, that’s the equivalent of about 30 kg per person!
2) It is estimated that around 5% of all landfill space is occupied by textile waste.
3) Keeping clothes in use for longer not only lowers the negative impact waste has on the environment but you are also helping a good cause if you donate them.
What Else Is Being Done About Ethical Sustainability
The UN goal 10 is “responsible production and consumption” and this lays out the international goals for sustainability of mother natures natural resources including the production of materials and processes that go into the life cycle of clothing and textiles.
There are many other good causes too such as Wrap and their Sustainable Clothing Action Plan (SCAP)
“ WRAP is revolutionising the clothing industry, using collective action to minimise the environmental impact of our clothes.
Our industry-led action plan delivers positive environmental and economic outcomes to organisations, by reducing carbon, water and waste through the SCAP 2020 Commitment.”
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