12 million jumpers set to be sold this year

Christmas jumpers are fuelling the world’s plastic pollution crisis, a charity has warned.

Some 12m jumpers are will be sold this year despite 65m already languishing in UK wardrobes.

Research by the environmental charity Hubbub showed that 108 garments on sale this year from 11 high street and online retailers found that 95% of the jumpers were made wholly or partly of plastic materials.

The charity said the garment had become one of the worst examples of fast fashion, now recognised as hugely damaging to the environment.

The research comes out ahead of Christmas jumper day – an annual publicity push by the charity Save the Children on Friday 13 December where millions of volunteers don jumpers to raise cash for good causes.

Hubbub’s research found that two out of five Christmas jumpers are only worn once over the festive period, and one in three adults under 35 buys a new Christmas jumper every year.