Daily Mail

End of throwaway fashion as we make do and mend

- By Sean Poulter Consumer Affairs Editor

the era of fast fashion appears to be over, with shoppers throwing away 50,000 fewer tons of clothes than they used to.

At the same time, increasing numbers are adopting a ‘make do and mend’ policy, as well as buying secondhand from charity shops and auction websites, a report says.

the study also highlighte­d a growing appetite for hiring out celebrity and designer dresses for special occasions.

the report by waste experts Wrap estimated the weight of clothing going in the bin dropped from 350,000 tons in 2012 to 300,000 tons in 2015 – a fall in weight equiva- lent to more than 300 jumbo jets. the research found that more than half the population now buy secondhand clothes.

Wrap said: ‘A variety of options for reusing clothes are available. the largest amount is taken to charity shops (39 per cent), while charity bags (18 per cent) and bring banks (13 per cent) remain important.

‘Resale is another popular route for used clothing, and 7 per cent of unwanted sec- ondhand clothes were sold in a year.’ it added: ‘it is estimated that over 100,000 tons of clothing is reused through informal routes between family and friends.’

the group also pointed to the ‘growing use of online exchange sites such as Freecycle, eBay and gumtree, as well as parent and baby groups who often informally exchange clothing’.

Wrap said fashion chains themselves could do more to boost the lifespan of products by taking back items and selling them on.

it said that typically a piece of clothing will have a first life of more than three years, but this can be extended by an average of 18 months if resold.

Wrap found that half the population would consider hiring clothes if it were made easy. it gave the example of the Rentez-Vous site, where users can rent or hire out clothes.

Wrap also noted the rise of people mending their own garments, with the help of online tutorials from sites such as US outdoor clothing firm Patagonia. it said: ‘Repair cafes, repair surgeries, workshops, and online sewing tutorials are gaining popularity. these are all places where people can get some help and learn new skills.’

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