Britons worry about new clothes due to eco issues - Patatam survey

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Jul 29, 2019

British women “are backing away from” buying new clothing due to worries over their impact on the environment, a new report shows. French e-tailer Patatam, which is just launching in the UK, said “fast fashion guilt” is having a major effect on their thinking.

The company spoke to 1,000 UK adults and found that around 18% of them now feel guilty about buying new clothes with 64% of them more likely to buy second-hand clothing. That last percentage was up from 45% in 2016 as 26% of women said they don't want to contribute to the problem of excessive resource use and unwanted clothes going to landfill.

The survey comes as the UK government has rejected calls to force retailers to tackle the environmental impact of fast fashion.

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But it seems that educational efforts on the part of environmental groups and some retailers are getting through as 31% of British women say they’re now conscious of the issues surrounding fast fashion.

Clearly, this feeds into Patatam’s business model as it’s a resale site that claims to now be Britain’s “biggest online preloved fashion retailer.” 

MD Eric Gagnaire said: “It’s great to see British consumers becoming more conscious of the impact their shopping habits are having on the environment. Consumers are now considering the clothes in their wardrobe in a whole new way and thinking about not only the manufacturing process and the environmental and social impact of this, but what happens when they are done wearing items. 

“We have seen an increase in shoppers wanting their clothes to have a second lease of life – whether they sell, donate or upcycle them – rather than just sending them to landfill. This, coupled with the research, shows just how much attitudes have changed and how British women are making a move to become more conscious consumers.”