Latest data from Cotton Incorporated found UK consumers are global leaders in donating and recycling clothing they no longer wear. The exclusive data reveals that 43% of UK consumers donate and 31% recycle clothing they have stopped wearing. This is a significant contrast with the global average of 31% and 29%, respectively.
When asked what UK consumers do with clothing they no longer wear, ‘donate’ and ‘recycle’ were the top responses. Globally, only US consumers choose to donate more than UK consumers with a higher percentage (46%) stating they donate clothing they no longer wear. When it comes to recycling, only German and Italian consumers surpass the UK, with 47% and 32% of people, respectively, stating they choose to recycle clothing they no longer wear.
“We spoke to nearly 10,000 global consumers in China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, UK and US, and are thrilled to see UK consumers leading the way in donating and recycling clothing they no longer wear, ” said Andrea Samber, Director of Brand Partnerships for Cotton Incorporated.
“Through the Cotton Lives On™ recycling programme we encourage brands to participate and increase the levels of clothing brands and consumers are giving and recycling, diverting away from landfill.”
The survey also found UK consumers rejecting ‘Throwaway Culture’ with only 22% of UK consumers stating they are throwing away clothing they no longer wear. This is well below the global average of 26% and contrasts sharply with Japan and France with 56% and 53% of consumers, respectively, who said they threw away clothing they no longer wear.
The comprehensive Cotton Incorporated survey also found 22% of UK consumers give to friends and family, 19% sell, 14% repurpose, 13% keep and 10% return clothing they no longer wear.
The Cotton Lives On™ recycling programme works with a premium collective of UK fashion brands and retailers through its cotton recycling programme. Brands joining the Cotton Lives On™ family include &SONS, Margaret Howell, ME+EM, PAIGE, Charles Tyrwhitt, Hush, Whistles, Hobbs, Phase Eight, L’Estrange, Anthropologie, Bianca Saunders, Nexvision, Veronica Beard and The White Company.
The Cotton Lives On™ programme diverts old cottons from landfill and transforms them into mattresses for people at risk of homelessness. To date, the Cotton Lives On™ recycling programme has collected approximately 8,000kg of cotton in the UK and provided over 100 roll mats. Each new roll mat contains the equivalent to 45 cotton T-shirts. People around the UK at risk of homelessness and living in difficult conditions are given the roll mats as part of their first essential products package when moving to a hostel, or as part of their new home kit once they have been found a more permanent place of residence.The Cotton Lives On™ recycling programme’s purpose is simple. Its aim is to reduce landfill waste and extend the life of old cotton in a way that helps both people and our planet.
