3. Sustainability Concept

Sus t a i na bi l i t yConc e pt Ac c or di ngt ot hec ha r i t a bl eor g a ni s a t i onTr a i d' swe bs i t e : Cons ume r spur c ha s e2 .

1 5mi l l i on t onne sofne wc l ot hi nga nds hoe se a c hy e a ri nt heUK. ( ht t p: / / www. t r a i d. or g . uk/ oe nv i r o . ht ml ) .

Di s pos i ngoft hepr e v i ouss e a s onsc l ot he sa nds hoe st oma ker oomf ort he i rne x tne wpur c ha s e s , a ne s t i ma t e d1 .

4mi l l i ont onne sofc l ot hi nga r es e ntt oUKl a ndfil l e a c hy e a r , mos tofwhi c h a r ei ng oodc ondi t i ona ndc a nbewor na g a i n.

Th i spos e ss i g ni fic a ntpr obl e msf ort hee nv i r onme nta ss y nt he t i cpr oduc t sdonotde c ompos ea ndpr oduc t ss uc ha swool spr oduc et ox i c me t ha nei ni t sde c ompos i t i on.

Th i spr oc e s soff a s tf a s hi onpr oduc t i ona ndc ons umpt i oni snots us t a i na bl e .

Us i ngupt he e a r t h' sna t ur a l r e s our c e st oma kepr oduc t swhi c hwet he nt hr owa wa y , s ome t i me sa f t e ras hor t pe r i odoft i mec a nnotc ont i nuei nde fini t e l y .

Th ewa yi nwhi c hwec ons umema t e r i a l swi l l a ffe c t whe t he rweha v eas us t a i na bl es oc i e t yt ha tl e a v e sr e s our c e sa v a i l a bl ef orf ut ur eg e ne r a t i ons .

Th i spr oj e c tc ons i de r s :howwec a nus ef e we rr e s our c e s( " g e tmor eoutofl e s s " ) ,howwec a n ma kepr oduc t sl a s tf orl ong e r( us el e s sa ndt hr owa wa yl e s s )a ndhowwec a ndobe t t e rt hi ng s wi t hours oc a l l e d" wa s t e "t ha nt hr owi ta wa y .

Wene e dt os e e" wa s t e "a sa" r e s our c e " .

Ac c or di ngt ot heWRAP2 0 1 2r e por t" Va l ui ngOurCl ot he s-Th et r uec os tofhowwede s i g n, us ea nddi s pos eofc l ot hi ngi nt heUK" : t hemos ts i g ni fic a ntoppor t uni t yf ors a v i ng si st oi nc r e a s et hea c t i v el i f eofc l ot hi ngwhi c ha c c ount sf ora r ound5 %oft heUK’ st ot a l a nnua l r e t a i l e x pe ndi t ur e , wi t hc ons ume r ss pe ndi ng£ 4 4bi l l i onay e a ronbuy i ngc l ot he s–ora r ound£ 1 , 7 0 0 pe rhous e hol d.

I fc l ot he ss t a y e di na c t i v eus ef orni nemont hsl ong e r( e x t e ndi ngt hea v e r a g e g a r me ntl i f et oa r oundt hr e ey e a r s ) , t hi sc oul ds a v e£ 5bi l l i onay e a rf r omt hec os t sofr e s our c e s us e di nc l ot hi ngs uppl y , l a undr ya nddi s pos a l .

Gi v e nt ha tov e r5 %oft heUK’ st ot a l a nnua l c a r bona ndwa t e rf oot pr i nt sr e s ul tf r omc l ot hi ngc ons umpt i on, s a v i ng soft hi ss c a l ewoul dbe hug e l ys i g ni fic a ntnotonl yi nfina nc i a l a ndc omme r c i a l t e r ms , buta l s oe nv i r onme nt a l l y . ( ht t p: / / www. wr a p . or g . uk/ c ont e nt / v a l ui ng our c l ot he s ) Th i sg a r me ntc ol l e c t i ons e e kst oa ddr e s ss omeoft hepr obl e msc a us e dbyf a s tf a s hi onbyr e c y c l i nga ndupc y c l i ngt e x t i l ewa s t e .

I na ni ndus t r yi nc r e a s i ng l ypr oduc i ngr a pi dl yc ha ng i ng s t y l e sa ndt r e ndsf ort hehi g hs t r e e ta taf r a nt i cpa c ea ndl owe rc os tt ot hec ons ume r , t hi s Aut umn/ Wi nt e rc ol l e c t i oni sa i me da tamor edi s c e r ni ngc l i e nt .

Ac ons ume rwhoi sa wa r eof t hene g a t i v ee ffe c tf a s tf a s hi oni sha v i ngont hee nv i r onme nta sna t ur a l r e s our c e sa r ebe i ng us e df a s t e rt ha nt he yc a nbepr oduc e d, t ox i cpe s t i c i de sa ndot he rc he mi c a l sa r ebe i ngus e dt o g r owc ot t ona nde ne r gyi sbe i ngus e dt ot r a ns por tpr oduc t sa r oundt heg l obe .

De s i g nf orupc y c l i ngi sa bout" notme r e l yc ons e r v i ngt her e s our c e st ha twe nti nt ot hepr oduc t i onofpa r t i c ul a rma t e r i a l s , buta ddi ngt ot hev a l uee mbodi e di nt he mbyt hea ppl i c a t i onof knowl e dg ei nt hec our s eoft he i rr e c i r c ul a t i on"( Mur r a y , 2 0 0 2 : Sour c e : Te ds1 0 ) Th ec ol l e c t i on a i mst ohe l pt hee nv i r onme nti nt heUKbyr e duc i ngt hea mountoft e x t i l ewa s t es e ntt ol a ndfil l , di s c our a g i ngf r e que ntwa s hi nga ndame ndi ngki tt oe nc our a g ea c t i v epa r t i c i pa t i oni nt he l ong e v i t yoft heg a r me nt .