Sustainable Fashion: What is the carbon footprint of your wardrobe?; Take the quiz and find out!!

OR sustainability and especially sustainability in fashion is a topic that concerns us more and more in recent years. From our side, we want to contribute in any way we can to a greener and more ethical fashion.

It's hard to know the impact our clothes have on the environment. Estimates of the carbon footprint of the fashion industry range from 4% until 10% of global gas emissions. It's not weird, that many consumers struggle to understand the impact their own wardrobe and choices have, due to the lack of available data and the huge variety of materials and production methods used.

This is why the American resale site ThredUp collaborated with the independent environmental research company Green Story Inc. and created a new online tool, in the form of a quiz, the Fashion Footprint Calculator to simplify the process.

From how often you buy new clothes to how often you wash and dry them, the tool helps you through 10 questions, calculate the carbon footprint of your purchasing habits annually and how this translates to the average consumer.

Take the test here

Fortunately, however, there are a number of ways you can reduce your footprint – including shopping second-hand. In fact, the latest data from ThredUp shows that choosing second-hand items can reduce your carbon footprint by an average of 25%, due to the fact that the vast majority of emissions come from the actual production of the garment itself.

This tool notes that you can also reduce the environmental impact of your clothes by reselling or donating unwanted clothes, not returning online purchases (which may end up in a landfill) and air drying your clothes. The standard shipping option, instead of express, when you shop online can also help reduce your carbon footprint.

End, washing your clothes at low temperatures and repairing/upcycling them instead of throwing them away are preferable solutions.