Half of fast fashion manufactured from new plastics, finds report

Nearly half of of women's clothes on the market on a number of the leading online websites are created entirely from new plastics, according to a study.

The research by the charity the Royal Society for the Arts (RSA) viewed 10,000 items for sale by Boohoo, Prettylittlething, Missguided and Asos.

It entirely on average 49% were made of polyester, acrylic, nylon and elastane.

The RSA said the numbers varied by outlet with Asos using comparatively less new plastic than the others.

The study discovered that 60% of Boohoo's women's clothing and 57% of Boohoo-owned Prettylittlething's were made entirely from new plastics.

Missguided had 42% of its items made entirely from new plastics and Asos 36%.

The RSA also said that the analysis found that typically, just 3% of clothes which contained any plastics used recycled plastics - "although this rises to 6% among items from Asos".

Missguided's head of sourcing and product technology Paul Smith said the business was "proud of the progress it had made" and that all its brand products were packaged and despatched in 100% recycled plastic. However, it added: "We agree there's more to accomplish."

The business said it had "committed to making sure 10% of our products will use recycled fibres by the end of 2021 and 25% by the finish of 2022".

Asos said the figures reflected positively onto it, but like the remaining industry it recognised more would have to be done.

The analysis for the report Fast Fashion's Plastic Problem, was completed between 11 and 29 May. The researchers viewed a lot more than 2,500 recently added items from each website, spread across different product categories.

'Throwaway culture'
The RSA said the plastic used huge amounts of energy and created environmental damage within their production and may take a large number of years to break down.

It added that a "throwaway culture", meant that "the majority of these garments are finding yourself in landfill".

"The sheer level of clothing made by these websites is shocking - we have to see several items, which choose rock-bottom prices, as akin to other short-lived plastics. The type of fast fashion trends means they aren't made to have long lives inside our wardrobes," said the report's co-author Josie Warden.

The RSA is calling to use it to lessen the utilization of plastic popular items.

It wants to government to check out introducing a plastics tax on clothes imported into or stated in the UK.

It says websites should develop means of promoting second-hand clothing, "along the lines of Depop and Asos' marketplace" also to publish figures how much plastic they use.

And it is encouraging consumers to get less and keep clothes for longer, instead of only wearing garments a "couple of times".

Asos, said its prices weren't at "throwaway" levels and disputed the report's description of it as a fast-fashion retailer.

It pointed out it can publish information regarding fabrics and their care, including on a fresh page on its website about how exactly to care for clothes in a far more environmentally-friendly way.

It said it really is encouraging that the RSA figures reflected positively onto it because shifting to more sustainable materials was an integral component of its Fashion With Integrity programme.

However, it said just like the remaining industry it recognised there was much more work to do and that it was continually reviewing and developing programmes to minimise its effect on people and the earth.

'Mountain to climb'
Boohoo has published its IN ADVANCE strategy which sets an "ambitious" goal of all polyester and cotton being recycled or more sustainable for 2025.

However, the RSA report said the business had a "mountain to climb" to meet up this target.

Boohoo said: "Answers to these complex challenges require collaboration which explains why we are delighted with the response from our existing and new suppliers to help us identify innovative answers to accomplish that target," a spokesperson said.

Boohoo is a member of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition and a signatory of Textiles 2030.

"We've engaged with this customers extensively through focus groups and a recently available survey, that received over 14,500 responses, to comprehend their attitudes to textile waste," the spokesperson added.

"What they tell us is that the purchase price they pay will not determine how long they keep an item of clothing and 88% said that they use either charity shops or resale sites as a responsible form of disposal, throwing an item away can be an absolute final resort for them."