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Fashion and shopping - Positive Possibilities

Fashion shouldn’t cost the earth, but quite often it does. The key is dress to impress with less impact! Read on to discover some facts about the impact fashion has on climate change and some the positive actions you can take. Why not share the list with your friends to see what actions they will take?

Did you know?
  • If all t-shirts were reused in the UK, nearly 1 million tonnes of CO2e could be saved per year
  • The fashion industry is responsible for 10 % of global greenhouse gas emissions
  • Producing a pair of jeans uses water equivalent to what one person drinks in 10 years
  • 70 million barrels of oil are used each year to make new, plastic-based clothes
  • 87 % of all clothes that are thrown away globally are incinerated or landfilled
  • We throw away 300,000 tonnes of textiles per year in the UK
Actions you can take to make a positive change
  • I will set up a clothing swap station at school
  • I will shop local
  • I will go clothes shopping at charity shops
  • I will buy refurbished electrical items instead of buying brand new
  • I will look in second-hand stores before buying something new
  • I will have a go mending clothes before throwing them away
  • I will donate old clothes to charity or give them to friends
  • I will borrow from family, friends or libraries instead of buying new
  • I will ask my school to set up an item-lending library
  • I will not buy new things for a year

Want to know more? The links below are great extra reading about all things transport and climate change.

Sustainable fashion >

Fashion and the environment >

Shopping locally >

Buying second hand >

What actions will you take? Share you plans with us on social media using #ClimateOfChange so we can cheer you on. Don't forget to explore the other positive actions themes, too.

Click the button below to download a PDF copy of this information to print out and share with friends.

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