We all have clothes in our wardrobe we no longer wear and according to the UK charity Waste and Resource Action Plan (WRAP) around 30% of all unwanted clothing is thrown in the bin and ends up in landfill, even though all of these items still have some value. We all change shape and size, simply wear-out our clothing, and like to adapt to changing fashions so feel special in our clothes. Avoiding throwing things away when we have finished with them, so they don’t end up in landfill, can be a real way to make the clothing we own more sustainable.

Donating unwanted clothing to friends, family or good causes for reuse or for recycling avoids throwing clothing away. At George we work with the UK charity Tickled Pink, so look out for the Salvation Army Tickled Pink clothing banks in Asda store car parks. You can't miss them - they are bright pink! You can put all your unwanted clothes into these so they can be sold, reused or recycled on behalf of Asda's Tickled Pink campaign.

When it comes to laundry, following the wash care label carefully can keep our clothes looking good and lasting longer, and avoiding tumble drying where possible can help to prolong the life of clothing. As part of the George 100 day satisfaction guarantee we work hard to ensure the quality of our products, some of which have features that extend the life of clothing, like Lasting Colour technology on school knitwear to keep it looking newer for longer, and expandable waists on school trousers.

Also, improving sewing skills to repair slightly damaged clothing can give your garments a new lease of life. Sewing skills also come in handy to customise or remake clothing into something new by adding your own creative personality. You can up-cycle clothing that you no longer use into fun new items to wear or totally remake into products for the home, office or school. This can bring both a new look and a second life to your unwanted clothing

If you would like to find out more visit www.loveyourclothes.org.uk and www.george.com/sourcedbygeorge

The Life Story of your T-shirt

This blog was written as part of an online event run by The Institute for Social Marketing as part of the Festival of Social Science week (7th-14th November 2015).

Visit our event hub to learn more about how t-shirts are made, make decisions about sustainability and share the story of your own favourite t-shirt.