MPs are calling on British fashion retailers to take action amid claims that social media is fuelling a “throwaway culture” that is adversely affecting the environment.
The Environmental Audit Committee has written a letter to the UK’s 10 biggest high street shops, including Marks & Spencer, Primark and Next, illustrating the consequences of wasted clothing and inviting them into Parliament for questioning.
Chief executives were told that British shoppers are buying twice as many clothes compared to a decade ago, more than any other nation in Europe, which is causing an overload at landfill sites and subsequently fuelling climate change.
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“The way we design, produce and discard our clothes has a huge impact on our planet,” said Mary Creagh, chairwoman of the committee,
“Fashion and footwear retailers have a responsibility to minimise their environmental footprint and make sure the workers in their supply chains are paid a living wage.
“We want to hear what they are doing to make their industry more sustainable.”
The global fashion industry produced 1.2 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2015, more than than international flights and maritime shipping combined, according to a submission from the Institute of Mechanical Engineers.
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