Over half adults don’t care about fast fashion impact, claims survey

Nearly half of adults (45 per cent) have admitted they don’t care about the impact of purchasing fast fashion – despite 71 per cent agreeing it’s one of the largest contributors to the current climate crisis.

Shocking new research has uncovered Brits’ views and understanding of the role fast fashion plays on the detrimental effects on the environment.

While many feel they should be doing more to stem their consumption of fast fashion, 79 per cent believe there is more to be done by businesses to inform the public of the environmental impact of the clothing they purchase.

And 70 per cent think consumers or shoppers have a right to know how much carbon has been created in the manufacturing of their garments.

While 59 per cent believe all clothes should come with an environmental efficiency rating so consumers are able to make an informed choice.

Of those polled, 65 per cent said they would be more likely to buy a clothes garment if it was rated green (Eco-Friendly) over red (Environmentally damaging).

A further 41 per cent would change their buying habits if they knew the true environmental impact of their purchasing.

The research was commissioned by the Christopher Nieper Foundation, which is calling on the government to create a Carbon Checker, an environmental initiative for kitemarks for clothing to take steps towards net-zero in the industry and incentivise the sector to compete for the most sustainable supply chains.

The research also revealed 50 per cent of Brits currently purchase between one and five new items of clothing each month. This equates to a mammoth 60 items of clothing per year per Brit.

However, many of these purchases never see the light of day with 41 per cent admitting that they often return items of clothing that they bought online.

Says Christopher Nieper OBE, CEO of clothing manufacturer David Nieper:

“The fashion sector is worth £26 billion and Britain is a world leader in fashion design and fashion education, yet nearly everything we wear is imported.

“For too long the clothing industry has ignored the consequence of emissions which has led to long-distance supply chains and production in countries with very low proportions of sustainable energy.”

“Coupling this with the UK public’s current consumption of fast fashion, this has created a recipe for disaster for the world’s climate.

“It is time now to be better informed as a nation about the problems our consumption causes and to single out those brands not doing enough to support the move to net-zero. Making fashion in the UK is highly effective and the opportunity for job creation is huge.”

To join the initiative visit: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/598973