Funding is available through the Awards for All programme and the Climate Action Fund
Scots consumers are creating an “out of control” mountain of clothing waste – but help is at hand for charities hoping to flatten it.
Almost three in 10 adults in Scotland (28%) have thrown away brand new clothes in the last year, binning an estimated 110 million items of clothing.
That’s according to new research by Censuswide commissioned by The National Lottery Community Fund.
The survey of 2,752 UK adults found that in Scotland over one in five people (21%) who said they put unworn or rarely worn clothing in the bin did so because they didn’t think they were worth selling or donating.
A lack of mending skills was also to blame. Almost a quarter said they lacked confidence in basic sewing such as putting on a button (23%) and 42% said they aren’t confident stitching up a hem.
Research by leading global environmental NGO WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme) shows that if people repair an item of clothing, they will keep it for at least another year on average.
Mending clothes can also help people become more aware of their spending and consumption, reducing the number of items bought and sent to landfill.
The National Lottery Community Fund says community-led solutions such as repair cafés (where people can work with volunteer experts to mend clothes or broken household items) and upcycling groups could play a role in reducing the impact on the environment, by reducing the need for creating new items as well as improving people’s mental health, building friendships and a sense of community.
Charity initiatives like Oxfam’s Second Hand September and the launch of Shelter’s Rescue and Repair campaign show a growing awareness of the environmental impact of our throwaway culture and an appetite to tackle the issue.
National Lottery-funded charity Revolve Recycle champions sustainable fashion through swap shops in Cambuslang and Rutherglen, where clothes are exchanged, mended, and upcycled to reduce waste, support people in need, and help people into employment.
Last year, Ifeoma Evangeline, 39, pictured above, moved from Nigeria to Scotland, leaving her children behind for nearly a year.
Isolated, jobless, and overwhelmed by rejection, her confidence collapsed until she joined Revolve Recycle’s repair group.
She said: “Leaving my family was heartbreaking. I cried so much at the airport. Arriving here with no job, no friends, no community - I felt invisible.
“Revolve Recycle gave me a reason to get out of the house. It rebuilt my confidence, improved my English, and gave me the support I needed. When another volunteer offered me a reference, I cried. That moment led to me securing my job in customer service!
“I love their mission and the kindness I found there. It reminded me that people still care. It’s a place where you can be yourself, feel welcome, and know you matter. I’ll never forget it—it came at exactly the right time. I don't know where I would be without them.”
As well as helping the planet, those in Scotland who attended repair cafés and fixing groups said they had experienced other benefits. More than a third said they it helped them save money (39%), feel they were ‘doing their bit’ to tackle climate change (38%), and learn new skills (36%).
As well as throwing away clothes, on average 60% of adults in the UK have thrown away household items in the last year including toasters, washing machines and hairdryers.
In the last four years, The National Lottery Community Fund has awarded over £13 million to around 450 environmental projects in Scotland including repair cafés, upcycling and sewing groups, helping people from across the length and breadth of the country to mend clothes as well as fix broken household items.
The fund is now urging the public to seek out their local repair café or mending group to repair or recycle clothing or damaged household items instead of throwing them away. It is also calling on charities and community groups to apply for funding to set up projects in their community which could help the environment.
Funding is available for environmental projects of all shapes and sizes, from small grants of up to £20,000 through its open access Awards for All programme to organisations working across the UK through the Climate Action Fund.
John Rose, environment lead at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “We need to end our throwaway culture and put a stop to the out-of-control mountain of clothes waste wreaking havoc on our environment.
“While fighting fashion waste is no easy feat and needs collective action, there are small steps everyone can take that will help the planet such as taking clothing or other broken items to be mended at a repair café.
“You could save money, learn new skills, forge friendships and be part of your community helping to save the planet and doing something truly life-changing.
“There are many people who are keen to make a positive difference to the environment where they live, whether that’s setting up a repair café, starting a community garden or helping people learn how to reduce their energy use, and we want to encourage them to get in touch with us to see if we can help them with funding at https://bit.ly/Environmentfunding.”
