UK lawmakers call on government to end disposable fashion

MADRID (Reuters) – A multi-party group of UK lawmakers on Tuesday urged fashion brands and retailers to pay a dime per garment to fund better garbage collection following an eight-month survey on the sector.

The British buy more clothes per person than any other country in Europe, according to the survey report, while nearly 300 000 tonnes of textile waste is sent to landfills or incinerators.

This survey, the first of its kind conducted at the parliamentary level around the world, coincides with growing public awareness of waste and its impact on the environment.

The fashion industry is an important business in Britain. It has a value of £ 32 billion (2017) and employs 890,000 people in the retail, manufacturing, branding and fashion design sectors in the country.

Charities, scientists and academics, however, expressed their concerns during the survey: fast fashion, an accelerated business model that sees an increase in the number of new collections each year, often at a low price, is not viable.

"Fast fashion means we're consuming too much and under-using clothes," said Mary Creagh, Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee, who is also a member of Parliament. "Fashion retailers must take responsibility for the clothes they produce."

In addition to a tax of one cent to fund better waste collection, the committee called on the government to implement tax reforms to reward companies that design products with less impact on the environment and the environment. to promote the reuse, repair and recycling of clothing.

He also recommended that clothing design, garment and repair courses be part of the curriculum, while sales taxes on repair services be reduced.

"The government must take action to end the era of disposable fashion by encouraging companies that offer sustainable design and repair services," Creagh said.