Cheap clothing which is worn just a few times before being discarded can contribute to landfill , while also generating toxic chemicals during its production process and dust # ##s when washed . The parliamentary Environmental Audit Committee will consider whether the industry is unsustainable , and how consumers can be encouraged to purchase fewer clothes and to dispose of them more carefully . The latest report by campaigners Wrap suggests that about 300,000 tonnes of clothing is binned in the UK each year. Waste reduction charity Waste estimates that 500 tonnes of clothing is thrown away in the UK each year . The clothing industry has the fourth largest environmental impact of any sector , following housing , transport and manufacturing .
Cheap clothing which is worn just a few times before being discarded can contribute to landfill , while also generating toxic chemicals during its production process and dust # ##s when washed . The parliamentary Environmental Audit Committee will consider whether the industry is unsustainable , and how consumers can be encouraged to purchase fewer clothes and to dispose of them more carefully . Waste reduction charity Waste estimates that 500 tonnes of clothing is thrown away in the UK each year . The clothing industry has the fourth largest environmental impact of any sector , following housing , transport and manufacturing .