Fashion disaster: Why green should always be in vogue

We all love the buzz we get from finding that perfect top, pair of jeans or jacket for a bargain price, writes Kate Wobschall.

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st fashion saw campaigners use 7,000 garments for this display in Utrecht in 2024. Photo:

But while cheap clothes are good for the bank balance, it's not necessarily the same story for the environment.

The process of mass producing cheap, low-quality clothes and accessories may be highly profitable for manufacturers and fun for consumers who can tap into the latest trends without paying catwalk prices. But is proving costly to the environment.

The issue isn't just the amount of clothing that ends up in landfill, it's the resources needed to make new garments.

And our appetite for new stuff is growing all the time, fed in part by the 24-hour-a-day availability of online shopping.

The textile sector is a significant contributor to global carbon emissions, accounting for eight to 10 pre cent of worldwide emissionsmore than the combined carbon footprint of aviation and maritime shipping.

Here today, bin tomorrow