Redress begins drive against dumping clothing in landfills

By rummaging through Hong Kong’s clothing bins in search of outfits to suit her fast-paced fashion-driven lifestyle, Christina is revealing high clothing waste rates and uncovering creative and cost saving alternatives to landfilling clothes. To share this fashion-led educational journey, Redress is inviting the public to join the challenge and to redress their clothes and their attitudes towards clothing waste.

Fashion consumption has increased around 60 percent over the past 10 years. These results in increased environmental pollution emitted during production and by increased wastage. In 2011, Hong Kong dumped an average of 217 tonnes of textiles into the city’s landfills every day.1.In the same year in the UK, approximately 959 tonnes of clothes entered landfill 2 Landfilled clothes result in negative environmental outcomes by the release of a climate-change inducing cocktail of chemicals. In addition, since almost 100 percent of textiles are recyclable, either by up-cycling or down-cycling, by landfilling clothes all potential for re-use or recycling are lost.

Bin fresh

Every day this year, Christina is wearing dumped secondhand clothing, sourced with support of partners Friends of the Earth (HK). Together with top fashion stylists the campaign will reveal 12 months of broader sustainable fashion subjects, from ways to restyle, reconstruct, repair and care for clothes in order to keep them in the fashion loop and out of landfill.

“I’m shocked at what we’ve salvaged from the clothing bins so far. From bags to bras, we’ve found that the public are chucking out amazing branded, quality clothes; some still with their price tags on. With our fashion stylists’ creativity, we’re turning other people’s trash, from swimming costumes to ski-gear, into my stylish wearable wardrobe. With today’s fashion production and consumption spiralling out of control, we must educate and inspire the public to rethink the way we consume, wear and discard our valuable clothes,” said Christina Dean.

Fashion stylists at the frontline

Every month, supporting fashion stylists will release a new guide to help consumers to rethink their relationship with clothes. Tania Reinert co-founder of eco online boutique, A Boy Named Sue, launches with January’s ‘Finding Your Wardrobe Essentials’ subject. February will explore durability, styled by Redress’ Creative Director, Julie Shah. Later in the year, swapping, reconstruction, clothing care and considered shopping will be covered by a variety of stylists including international stylingconsultancy, Stylecab.