Textiles including clothing is the world’s third-largest manufacturing industry which is responsible for up to 10% of global emissions which occur throughout the clothing supply chain. To meet the demands of people wanting new cheap clothes, there has been an international expansion of fast-fashion retailers which are exacerbating the impacts of the environment.

The “make do & mend” era has been replaced with a “wear it then throw it” approach as it is now cheaper to buy new rather than repair old clothes. Retailers have made fashion appear disposable with and an estimated 200 million tonnes of clothes in the UK end up in landfill or an incinerator each year, rather than getting repaired, redesigned, or donated to charity shops. 

Being socially conscious, we also have a key role to play however it doesn’t mean we need to stop loving clothes or dressing to impress. What we must do is speak out against the toxic aspects of fast- fashion and commit to repairing, redesigned, reusing and recycling clothing and buying from an increasing range of sustainable sources.  

Highstreet giant H&M offer a garment recycling service since 2013 where anyone can take a bag of unwanted clothes (including home textiles & shoes) to any H&M store, where they will make sure they are reused, re-worn, or recycled with 0% going to landfill. All customers receive a £5 voucher for each bag of unwanted clothes they recycle with them – it sounds like there’s a catch, but there really isn’t, this offer is open to all! 

Another ground-breaking initiative is Textiles 2030 project which utilises the knowledge and expertise of UK leaders in sustainability to accelerate the UK fashion and textiles industry towards a circular economy. Greenzone provides a zero waste to landfill strategy for all our customers and only partner with suppliers who share likeminded environmental values. We work tirelessly to deliver the most environmentally advantageous disposal options. As a business, we recognise the importance of how our activities and services impact the environment, and the influence we play in helping our customers to apply the principles of the waste hierarchy.