On average a single person will throw away 37kg of clothing each year. Aside from being a waste of money, this is a waste of materials such as polyester that have seriously damaging effects on the environment - considering that 70 million barrels of oil are used to make polyester each year, and it takes up to 200 years to decompose. Sustainable fashion uses materials and methods that will not have a negative impact on the planet. Historically, fashion was sustainable by its very nature, but now it often causes pollution and results in increased landfill waste.
There are different ways to avoid this. Try to shop at brands that consider their environmental impact (some examples are Reformation and Beaumont Organic), however, these brands are less affordable than our comfort shops (Shein and Nike; both being large polluters). For more accessible sustainable fashion you can choose to buy second hand; buy from charity shops or give clothes to friends that you may otherwise have thrown out - swapping clothes gives them a new life, and saves them from the dreaded landfill. Another option is to buy local items (this is the same when buying food) as this reduces the carbon footprint. Try and buy organic materials, free from polyester, where possible and think before you buy: will I really wear this?
