BUND Hessen urges consumers to adopt sustainable textile habits amid rising consumption and environmental concerns. The organization promotes second-hand shopping, garment repair, and awareness campaigns during the Fashion Revolution Action Week, highlighting the significant ecological footprint of fast fashion.

The environmental organization BUND Hessen has called for a shift in textile consumption habits to combat the adverse impacts of fast fashion. Jörg Nitsch, the state chairman of BUND Hessen, highlighted the significant resource consumption, waste generation, pollution from chemicals, and greenhouse gas emissions associated with fast fashion, which is characterized by cheaply produced clothing that consumers frequently replace.

Nitsch emphasized the limited availability of recycling solutions for the growing accumulation of textile waste and stressed the environmental damage caused by the current consumption patterns. To address this, he advocated for more conscious consumer behaviors, including buying fewer clothes, opting for second-hand items, repairing garments rather than discarding them, and choosing natural and sustainable fashion options whenever possible.

BUND Hessen actively promotes awareness through various community initiatives across the state of Hesse, including clothing swap parties, consumption-critical city tours, and repair cafés. According to Nitsch, these efforts have resulted in a marked increase in public awareness and interest in sustainable fashion practices over recent years.

These activities coincide with the nationwide Fashion Revolution Action Week, held from April 22 to 27. This global campaign seeks to promote greater transparency and responsibility within the fashion industry. In Hesse, multiple events are organized in cities such as Darmstadt, Kassel, Frankfurt, and Offenbach to support the campaign’s objectives.

The urgency of addressing textile consumption is underscored by recent data from the European Environment Agency, which revealed that residents of the European Union are purchasing more clothing, footwear, and household textiles than ever before. In 2022, the average EU citizen acquired approximately 19 kilograms of textiles, including 8 kilograms of clothing, 4 kilograms of shoes, and 7 kilograms of household textiles. This figure marks an increase from the 17 kilograms recorded in 2019, indicating a rising trend in textile consumption amid ongoing sustainability concerns.

Source: Noah Wire Services