New clothing tax to discourage fast fashion

A number of British members of parliament have suggested charging a tax of 1 penny (1.1 eurocent) per clothing item, to discourage the negative effects of fast fashion. The revenue would be used to create better systems for collection and recycling.

Countering overconsumption

The proposition comes in the wake of the presentation of the final report of the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC), an organisation that has been researching the sustainability and durability of the clothing industry for eight months. According to the EAC, the new tax could easily raise 35 million pounds per year (about 40 million euros). That money should then be used to improve both the amount and the quality of recycling of used clothes.

Currently only 1 % of all clothes are being recycled in the United Kingdom, while 300,000 tons of textile are thrown away every year. The report also states that the British buy more clothes than anyone else in Europe: an average of 26.7 kilos of fashion products per person per year, to be exact. In Germany, that is not even half (12.6 kilos) and an average Italian buys 14.5 kilos of clothing per year.

The committee also states that the sector needs a new economic model that fiscally rewards fashion companies that offer sustainable items and repair services. Mary Creagh, EAC’s chairwoman, notes that the sector has failed to self-regulate. “Voluntary corporate social responsibility initiatives have failed significantly to improve pay and working conditions or reduce waste.”