UK's average clothing costs decline to $20.84 in 2023: Report

Leading up to 2021, there was a notable decline in the value and volume of textile imports and exports. This decline was particularly evident in imports, attributed to a shift towards onshoring production post-Brexit and during the pandemic when the movement of goods faced challenges. While the volume of imports has recovered post-2021, it has only increased by 12.5 per cent. However, the cost of imports has risen above pre-pandemic levels, indicating a shift towards a higher £ to kg ratio, as per the report.

The report highlighted the significant volume of used textiles generated in the UK in 2022, totalling approximately 1.45 million tonnes. Of this, around 276,000 tonnes were sold to the public, while 650,000 tonnes were diverted to reuse and recycling from end-of-life disposal, and 421,600 tonnes were exported. However, concerning trends were noted regarding the disposal of used textiles, with around 711,000 tonnes discarded in household waste containers in 2021. Nearly half of all used textiles ended up in general waste, with 84 per cent being incinerated with energy recovery and 11 per cent sent to landfill.

Furthermore, there has been a notable decline in the price per tonne for textile bank and charity shop donations between 2013 and 2023, without accounting for inflation. The reduction stood at 57.5 per cent for textile bank donations and 41 per cent for charity shop donations, with 2023 figures at £172.5 per tonne for textile banks and £255 per tonne for charity shops.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DP)