Ethical clothing organisation MCR Love Your Clothes have launched #nonewjune, a campaign challenging people to spend a month without buying new clothes.
It hopes to draw attention to the environmental issues of fast fashion and show people there are more sustainable ways of giving your wardrobe a makeover.
Fashion is the second most polluting industry in the world, producing more carbon dioxide than international flights and maritime shipping combined.
And we in the UK are among the worst culprits – sending an estimated 350,000 tonnes of clothing to landfill each year.
While the threat of climate change may push many of us to recycle more than ever, the best way of reducing waste is to keep from buying it in the first place. That’s what this campaign hopes to help people with.
MCR Love Your Clothes was founded by Amanda Graham, Amber Bayley, and Amy Wright as part of an Environmental Leadership Programme with youth charity, Uprising.
They were inspired by the Stacey Dooley documentary Fashion’s Dirty Secrets, which exposed the environmental damage the industry has on the world.
“People think it’s just clothes but it’s so incredibly impactful – and obviously everyone’s a part of it because we all wear clothes,” Amy told MM.
She illustrated some of the startling facts that motivated the campaign, such as that 10,000 litres of water is needed to make a single pair of jeans.
And that 17% of young people would never wear an outfit again if it had been posted on Instagram.
We love this idea! MCR Love Your Clothes, a #Manchester-based #ethicalfashion organisation, has launched #nonewjune to ask people to stop buying new clothes for a month. You can sign up here – https://t.co/i2g7LZcwyA pic.twitter.com/YLAjVzUoZN
— MMU Environment Team (@MMUEnvironment) June 3, 2019
The group hopes that making people aware of other ways of finding clothes, such as shopping secondhand or doing clothes swaps with friends, will help combat this disposable attitude to fashion.
“It’s all about being conscious as you’re buying – thinking before you buy ‘Do I really need this, do I really want this, am I gonna get 30 wears out of it?’
“Taking a few moments to consider that before you buy something can actually make a massive difference.”
By signing the #nonewjune pledge, people will be given tips throughout the month on buying secondhand clothing, taking care of clothes so they last longer, and responsibly recycling them.
“It’s about what you can do as an individual to reduce your carbon footprint – but it’s also about having fun!” said Amy.
“It’s not all doom and gloom, it’s about individuals being able to take action and collectively create a bigger change.”
You can sign the #nonewjune pledge here.
