New clothes bought in the UK produce more carbon emissions per minute than driving a car around the world six times, says Oxfam, in a claim that echoes Vivienne Westwood’s Big Issue message.
The charity’s research found that the textile industry produces more greenhouse gas emissions than the shipping and aviation industries combined.
They also reported that more than two tonnes of clothing are bought every minute in the UK with the emissions from buying one new white cotton shirt equating to driving a car for 35 miles.
A new study has revealed shocking statistics like this below about the impact of #ClimateChange on the environment and in turn on people around the world. Make a stand in September and take part in #SecondHandSeptember 👉 https://t.co/7euTmdPJs8 pic.twitter.com/ow8VI2qzsH
— Oxfam (@oxfamgb) August 30, 2019
Overall, the emissions from new clothes bought in the UK every month are greater than those from flying a plane around the world 300 times with each adult spending £27 on fast fashion monthly despite owning two unworn items. And that’s not counting the 11 million garments Oxfam estimate end up in landfill in the UK.
Add in the poor working and pay conditions for workers making the garments in some of the world’s poorest countries – who are feeling the effects of climate change disproportionately to their greenhouse gas output – and the message is clear: fast fashion needs to go.