Stat: Majority of Britons admit to discarding clothes regularly

UK – A new survey by British Wool reveals that fast fashion remains prevalent in the UK, as nearly two-thirds of Britons admit to throwing away clothes that could be recycled or donated to charity instead of ending up in landfill.

Britons are buying more new items of clothing each year than people in other European countries. The data suggests a very high turnover in wardrobes, with people throwing away six garments a month on average.

In addition, the research noted a limited knowledge and understanding of the properties and environmental impact of different textiles. A staggering 85% of Britons are unaware of what garments are made with, even as 31% want to make eco-friendlier fashion purchases.

This study comes as fast fashion giant Shein has been named in a survey by money.co.uk as the most popular fashion brand of 2022, despite increasing criticism for alleged unsustainable and unethical practices and underpinning the current cognitive dissonance between a will to commit to greener consumption habits and the reality of consumer behaviour.