The textile industry is the second most polluting industry on the planet, surpassed only by the oil industry. Garment production is responsible for 20% of the toxic substances discharged into water. Textile companies consume and pollute an enormous amount of water in the countries where the clothes are manufactured, not in the countries where they are sold.

The relocation of factories and the low quality of the garments produced have led to lower prices, resulting in mass purchasing of fast clothing and fashion. Today, we buy 4 times more clothes than in the 1990s, and 75% of those clothes end up in landfills.

As conscious consumers we can act at different stages of the cycle: shopping according to sustainability criteria, making our garments last longer, and, when we want to get rid of them, not dumping them in the bin and always depositing them at collection points for used clothing.

And if they are pieces of clothing in good condition, why not give them to acquaintances or through organised exchange networks? There is an urgent need to help reduce the amount of textile waste going to landfill. Actions to promote the circular economy help to reduce the heavy environmental footprint associated with the textile sector.