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Fast fashion is reaching crisis point - fast.
The fashion industry is one of the planet’s biggest polluters, responsible for around 10% of global carbon emissions. more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined. It also drains water sources, pollutes rivers, and sends 85% of textiles straight to landfill each year. And with fast-fashion giants Shein adding 6,000+ items to their website every single day (The Economist), it’s unfortunately easy to see how UK clothing purchases have grown to 1.4 million tonnes (a 50% increase since 2012).
Most of us have heard the stats before. But we get sucked in by trends, hauls and next-day delivery, and still end up being part of the problem, whether we like it or not.
But what’s the solution?
Simply put: it’s circular fashion.
Now, don’t get us wrong, there are a lot of other extremely viable solutions out there, from bio-design to technological sea-cleanups to supply chain transparency (the list goes on and on), and these are doing amazing work to combat this extremely pressing issue.
But ultimately we think circular fashion is the simplest way to make the biggest impact.
And one that everyone can get involved with.
Circular fashion means designing, using and reusing clothes to keep them out of landfill and in the loop.
It means extending the life of the things that already exist instead of constantly creating more.
Think, charity shops, takeback programmes, upcycling, resale platforms and good old-fashioned car boot sales.
In this blog, we’ll break down:
- What circular fashion really means (and why it matters)
- How pre-loved clothing helps cut down your carbon footprint
- And how you can start your circular fashion journey.
The Fashion Industry’s Carbon Problem
The Global Fashion Impact
Globally, the fashion industry is responsible for:
- 92 million tonnes of waste annually
- 8.1% of global greenhouse gas emissions
- 10% of global carbon emissions
- 20% of global water waste
- Around 35% of the ocean’s microplastic pollution
And on top of that, 87% of fibres used for clothes end up either in landfill or incinerated and less than 1% are recycled into new clothes.
Production of one cotton t-shirt uses about the same amount of water that one person would drink in two and a half years. Now think about how many cotton t-shirts there are in your home. How easy it is to buy a new t-shirt for your kids, or for your upcoming holiday, or just to have a spare because it’s always useful - and not think anything of it.
The UK’s Fashion Impact
For such a small country, our impact is far too big.
In the UK alone we send around 350,000 tonnes of clothes to landfill each year. The statistics say it’s clothing waste but we don’t really like that term.
Because a dress that doesn’t fit you, or the shoes that need to be resoled, aren’t waste. They’re finite and important resources that can be reused, and shouldn’t be going to landfill.
With each of us throwing away roughly 3 kilos of textiles a year, and over half of that going to landfill, the numbers are fast adding up.
The Carbon Cost of Fashion: Where The Emissions Add Up
From the farmer picking cotton in a field, to the lights in the fitting room, to the postman delivering your parcel, every stage of your clothes’ life leaves a carbon footprint. And unfortunately, these footprints are pretty hefty.
The biggest impact comes from the production stage.
Growing Raw Materials like cotton needs a huge amount of land, water and pesticides.
Those raw materials need to be turned from fibres to fabrics, dyed (usually with chemicals) and with factories that are running 24/7 powered by fossil fuels.
After that, our clothes need to be transported to us from wherever they’ve been made, usually thousands of miles away. Ships, planes, lorries are all used to get your clothes from the factories that make them all the way to your highstreet shop, or directly to your front door - all adding to the total emissions of each item.
Then there’s the big issue of overconsumption. We’re increasingly embracing the dangerous wear-once mindset, throwing things away after a night out, when trends change or just because we’ve got too much stuff and not enough time to wear it all.
The result?
A constant cycle of production and waste, and the planet bearing a very serious impact.
Okay, heavy stuff out of the way, let’s get to the solution shall we?
What Is Circular Fashion (And Why It Matters)
Circular fashion is about keeping clothes in use for as long as possible.
It’s a fairly simple solution that reduces waste, maximises the value of each individual item, and minimises the impact on the environment, by the way we make, wear and then get rid of our clothes.
In a traditional linear model of fashion, the process looks like this:
Take → Make → Wear → Waste
Clothes are produced, bought, worn (often only briefly), and then thrown in the bin. It sounds shocking, but even here at Reskinned we have things in our wardrobes that we’ve never worn, or not worn enough, despite us all being eco-conscious shoppers.
The circular fashion model changes things up.
Instead of binning things when we’re done with them, we
- Reuse
- Repair
- Resell
- Repurpose
- Recycle
Instead of a line, it’s a loop, and every loop extends the life of a garment, meaning less need for a new one to be made.
Pre-loved as a Circular Fashion Solution
Every time you buy second-hand instead of new, you’re:
- Saving energy and resources that would’ve gone into making a new item
- Keeping clothes out of landfill
- Actively participating in a more sustainable, future-focused fashion system
So How Does Buying Pre-Loved Clothes Lower Emissions?
When you pick up something pre-loved instead of buying it brand new, you’re extending the life of something that already exists.
We already have enough clothes on the planet to dress the next six generations. More clothes are being made and sold today than ever before.
That means more clothes than ever being bought, worn and discarded without reaching the end of their usability.
By just wearing something for an extra nine months, you can reduce a garment’s carbon, water and waste footprint by up to 30%, because you’re slowing down the need for something new to be created.
And that’s not even including the landfill issue - where the discarded clothes release harmful greenhouse gases as they break down, and microplastic that pollute our waterways and soil.
And these are perfectly good clothes that could be worn again and again by someone else!
Keep It Circular: Reskinned Tips for a Lower-Impact Wardrobe
We’ve created a guide for all the best and easiest ways to make an impact on your own carbon footprint via your wardrobe. Use this list to make smarter choices and keep your wardrobe circular.
Buy Pre-loved or Vintage
The easiest switch is to shop what’s already in existence. Pre-loved clothes mean saving carbon, water and waste, and you can get one-of-a-kind pieces at a fraction of the price they would be brand new.
Explore our pre-loved finds here
Repair and Care For What You Own
Mend that missing button. Learn how to wash your delicate fabrics properly. Handwash your knitwear. The longer your clothes last, the less often you’re going to need to replace them, meaning fewer carbon emissions over time.
We’ve made a guide for caring for your clothes here
Use Takeback Programmes
Not sure what to do with worn-out or unloved clothes?
Don’t bin them!! Our Reskinned takeback scheme helps you recycle or rehome items the right way, whatever condition they’re in. You can also get a discount on some of your favourite stores to replace the item you’ve finished with.
Check out the Reskinned takeback programmes here
Sell and Donate Responsibly
Give your clothes a second life by passing them on to someone who’s going to wear them. Donate to charity shops, sell via resale platforms, or trade in with brands that offer circular options.
Build a Timeless Wardrobe
Focus on pieces you’ll love season after season. Classic shapes, quality fabrics and versatile staples are always going to last longer than the on-trend fashion pieces. Ask yourself, would I have worn this last year? If the answer is probably not, you probably won’t want to wear it next year either.
If that’s not enough and you still want to do more, amazing. Check out this article from Fashion Revolution about how you can take action against the climate crisis.
Changing your shopping habits might seem like a small thing, but it’s one of the most powerful ways to reduce your carbon footprint.
Every pre-loved piece you choose keeps clothes in circulation, cuts emissions, and sends a clear message: fashion can and should do better.
Whether you're refreshing your wardrobe or ready to part with what no longer serves you, here at Reskinned we’re making it easy to do the right thing.