The ‘Primark effect’ means one million tonnes of clothes are sent to landfill every year

Calls to bring forward a total ban on recyclable material being sent to landfill are increasing, as the EFRA waste report show big increases in the amount of textile waste being dumped. Throwaway fashion from shops such as Primark are being blamed for an increase in the amount of clothes being dumped in landfill sites.

Although the proportion of total waste dumped in landfill has decreased by nearly 1/4 in recent years, textile waste has risen to more than one million tonnes in the same period, driven by the tendency to discard low cost clothes quickly.

The biggest culprit was the retail and wholesale sector, which produced 12.7 million tonnes of waste in 2002-03, nearly half of which was sent to landfill. In addition, nearly half of household waste sent to landfill was bought from retail supermarkets and convenience stories.

The report highlighted the importance of reducing food waste, with one third of food bought – currently thrown away every year and generating 18 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in landfill sites, equivalent to the emissions from 4 million cars.

The Government’s Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has been running a ‘Love Food, Hate Waste‘ campaign since November 2007 and Defra has also announced plans to reform packaging label rules to reduce confusion over ‘best before’ dates.

What can you do?  If you have had enough of throw away fashion and want some ideas on how to get your fashion fix in a more sustainable way click here for lots of ideas.

Source: The Ecologist

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Things you can do to get into ethical fashion 2010 style

Mumzine is off to the first International Day of Swishing in London tomorrow.  In honour of this day here are our top things you can do to love fashion with a clear conscience.

1. If you love the high street, spend a little bit of time researching the ethics of the companies.  There are some brands doing great stuff to produce their garments ethically.  New Look was recently praised in the Good Guide and Ethical Consumer is an excellent place to start if you want to do some digging.  Many of the high street brands do organic and fair trade lines as well as committing not to use child labour (we all remember that Primark expose).

2. Shop in Charity/Vintage Shops. Vintage clothes not only look more unique but they’re also often higher quality than mass produced high street clothes. Wherever you live, if you go to second hand shops in salubrious areas you will be amazed at the finds up for grabs.  The Notting Hill Oxfam is notorious for designer picks .

3. Get swishing – there are now swishing events everywhere, and if you cant make an event you can swish online or host your own swish. Its fun and a great way to update your wardrobe without spending money.

4. Upcycling. Hot on the heals of the swishing trend is upcycling.  From ETSY to Stich n Bitch, crafting is everywhere.  Instead of recycling your clothes, give them a face lift.  All you need are a few safety pins, a bit of lace, a few sequins or anything else that takes your fancy.  If you are lacking in confidence there are many courses available to help you get comfortable with sewing.

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