The UK is buying at least 1,130,000 tones of clothes a year (rising year on year). This is 60% more than what we were purchasing in 2000*. 

Our fashion industry is one of the top 5 worst polluters on our planet. Currently using we use a huge amount of resources to make and care for our garments and what is called in industry terms call three-fold impact with emissions to air, water & waste. 

So things need to change. Don’t you think? Our perspective on clothes needs to change. First up, we need designers and manufacturers to step up and give us more durable quality clothes made from better fair trade, ethical fibres so our garments become more sustainable and longer lasting and even using a closed loop system so we have a circular fashion model in place. Then us, we need to break this awful cycle of fast fashion where there are currently 52 seasons giving us a culture of needing that newness now, the fast fashion giants are feeding a habit and we as addicts are buying into it, every time. I must make this clear, I do not care if I see you wearing a dress that you had on the other day! Nor do I sit there scrolling through your social media feeds and give a tally to how many times I have seen you in particular pieces. Stay with me! It is OK to wear your clothes until they fall off you and they are no more. 

I do not care if I see you wearing a dress that you had on the other day!

If we can just change our behaviour little by little, then this will start creating a bigger change in how the fashion industry works. If we don’t start changing then it simply won't happen.

This leads me to our laundry because our own washing & aftercare account for up to two-thirds of clothes carbon footprint and we can reduce this in our own home. 

How much do you actually know about the laundry, that you do every week? 

5 facts about Laundry

• Laundry loads need to be considered because if you overload the machine not only do clothes not wash properly but they rub against each other causing damage and fading.
• Laundry can shed up to 700,000 microfibres in a single domestic wash which ends up in our oceans and ultimately going into our food chain.
• Laundry temperature on high can run & fade colours and shrink your clothes.
• Laundry powder can damage your clothing, not wash properly and can cause skin allergies
• Laundry dryers do the most damage to your clothes causing them to shrink, wrap & even rip.

It’s time to make those small simple changes which can make a HUGE better impact on our environment.

5 new facts about Laundry 

• Laundry only needs to be washed when it needs to be. Wear your garment at least 3 times before chucking it into the machine. Your denim doesn’t need to be washed for at least 6 months. If it has a stain, just spot clean it.
• Laundry bags made from mesh can catch the microfibres preventing them going into our water system.
• Laundry can be washed at lower temperatures to reducing your energy footprint by 75%
• Laundry detergent is better ECO-Labelled in Liquid or Soapnut form to prevent microfibre shedding and work best with cold water. Use only what you need as more doesn’t make your clothes any cleaner. Ditch the Softener.
• Laundry is best to air or line dry to give your clothes more longevity.

What do you think? Can we do this? Take those small steps to change the way we look after our clothes and how we use them, learn to even love them again when we did as a child, you know that favourite jumper you would wear for a month until it’s finally ripped off you for a wash? no, just me then?

Feel free to visit my wash and aftercare page, where you can pick up some more eco top tips on how to do your laundry and you can visit my laundry page for some great ECO Soapnuts for your washing machine. 

If you have any eco suggestions from getting stains out or brands you love, feel free to comment below or start the conversation in the mi tribe community.

xKate

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*According to the WRAP Report 2016.