I’ve a confession to make: I’m a serial garments hoarder. Whereas I’ve made each effort to make sure my procuring habits are as sustainable as doable over the previous 5 years (together with committing to solely including 5 new issues to my wardrobe final 12 months), I’ve accrued all method of items throughout the years prior.
These vary from social gathering tops I purchased at Topshop over a decade in the past to outdated jumpers which have shrunk within the wash. The truth is, I daren’t depend the variety of garments (the vast majority of which now not match me) I’ve overspilling from my wardrobe, sat in suitcases at my dad and mom’ home, or in black bin baggage within the attic, ready for brand new houses.
Why do I discover it so laborious to let go of items I now not put on? Mockingly, it’s partly due to my job as British Vogue’s sustainability editor: I do know that lower than one per cent of all clothes are literally recycled into new garments, with round 70 per cent ending up in landfill, usually in international locations within the International South. This implies I don’t need to merely drop off all my undesirable items at a clothes financial institution, and even at my native charity store, for concern they’ll find yourself on a garbage heap.
I’ve good intentions of reselling my items as a substitute, to make sure they get a second life, however the pile of garments is now so excessive that I by no means fairly get spherical to it. This Christmas, I lastly ordered a Thrift+ bag, which you’ll fill along with your undesirable garments (be sure to test which manufacturers are accepted and what situation they must be in first), earlier than sending them again. They’ll do all of the sorting for you: work out which items may be offered on, and make sure the relaxation is both donated to charity or responsibly recycled. It’s a begin, however in fact, I’ll want a number of Thrift+ baggage earlier than I’ll handle to totally filter out my closet.
Though my state of affairs has evidently spiralled uncontrolled, I’m under no circumstances the one one who has a big pile of garments in my wardrobe that’s been left unworn. A 2022 survey by textiles charity WRAP discovered that on common, 1 / 4 of our wardrobes haven’t been worn previously 12 months – equating to 1.6 billion garments within the UK alone. Whereas the actual fact they’re not in landfill is in fact a constructive factor, garments languishing away in the back of our closets isn’t any use to anybody both.
“It’s greatest to maintain clothes in use for so long as doable,” Sophie Scanlon, textile sector specialist at WRAP, tells me. The truth is, one other research printed by the charity in 2017 discovered that extending the life of fifty per cent of garments by simply 9 months within the UK would cut back the overall carbon, water and waste footprints of clothes by between 4 and 10 per cent. “When garments are actively worn, the vitality and assets invested of their manufacturing are maximised,” the skilled explains. “It [also] slows down the necessity to produce and devour new merchandise.”
Certainly, a separate 2018 report by McKinsey discovered that one in 5 clothes will must be traded through round enterprise fashions – akin to rental, resale, restore and refurbishment – by 2030 for the style trade to lower round 143 million tonnes of GHG emissions a 12 months.
By hoarding garments that merely aren’t worn, we’re stopping them from coming into the round economic system – and subsequently, stopping them from enjoying their half in making a extra sustainable future.
Though this stuff could ultimately come again into style, trend-led clothes will possible be extra fascinating – and subsequently useful – the earlier you cross it on. “Garments stored in energetic use means the clothes are being utilised for an extended interval earlier than it turns into unusable for put on,” Scanlon explains. Go away it too lengthy and it could be trickier to search out these items a brand new residence in the long term, which means they’re extra more likely to find yourself in landfill.
That’s why in 2024, I’m decided to lastly half methods with the garments I’ve been hoarding for all these years – and provides as a lot of them a second life as doable. Because the saying goes, one (wo)man’s trash is one other (wo)man’s treasure.