Dressing for change: The subtle power of sustainable fashion choices
On 27 April 2026, the WEEE and Batteries Team made a conscious decision to wear clothing from brands that contribute to meaningful causes or have a lower environmental impact. Despite the team changing up their usual office attire, most colleagues didn’t even notice a difference!
The team’s outfits included:
- Second‑hand items from Vinted, eBay, and charity shops
- Hand‑me‑downs
- Repair‑focused, B Corp, or purpose‑driven brands
- Durable clothing designed to last, be repaired, or resold
Making sustainable fashion choices
A more sustainable choice can take many different forms and is particularly important as the fashion industry is one of the most resource‑intensive industries, while also being associated with ethical challenges. These include poor working conditions, low wages, unsafe factories, and a lack of transparency across supply chains. At the same time, the industry is responsible for around 10% of global carbon emissions, uses vast volumes of water, and generates huge amounts of waste, with around 73% of all discarded textiles ending up in landfill or incineration, while less than 1% are recycled into new clothing.
Nowadays, many people are becoming more mindful about being vegetarian or reducing their meat consumption, as the ethical and environmental impacts are visible and easy to understand. When harm is tangible, it’s harder to look away. Clothing, by contrast, is different. The impacts are often hidden far from view in supply chains, factories, and communities we never see. When the consequences aren’t visible, it becomes much easier to ignore them. Making more conscious clothing choices is about bringing those hidden impacts back into focus.
Why does what we’re wearing make a difference?
If people doubled the number of times they wore their clothes, greenhouse gas emissions from clothing could be reduced by up to 44%. Furthermore, extending a garment’s life by just nine months can reduce its carbon, water, and waste footprint by 20–30%.
Many of our outfits embodied these principles, whether through re‑wearing clothes that are six years old (or thirty), buying pre‑loved items, or choosing brands with intention.
The good bit?
There is absolutely a time and a place for buying new clothes. When we do need something new, choosing brands that demonstrate impact through repair and take‑back schemes, durable long‑life design, recycled or lower‑impact materials, and community commitments can make a real difference. While no brand is perfect, as the industry operates on consumerism, purpose‑led companies are helping shift fashion away from extractive fast‑fashion models and towards more circular approaches that prioritise people and planet over volume.
Spotlight on brands we wore
- Patagonia is well known for using business as a tool for environmental action, with a strong focus on science‑based climate goals, recycled and lower‑impact materials, and encouraging customers to repair, reuse, and buy less through its long‑standing repair programmes and warranties.
- Veja takes a transparency‑first approach to footwear, using vegan materials, responsibly sourced natural rubber and organic cotton, while publicly sharing details about its supply chain rather than spending heavily on traditional advertising.
- BAM focuses on everyday essentials designed with comfort and lower impact in mind, using materials such as bamboo and organic cotton alongside a commitment to ethical manufacturing and a reduced environmental footprint.
- Scamp & Dude integrates social impact directly into its business model, combining certified ethical production with strong community and mental‑health initiatives, showing how fashion brands can support both people and planet.
- Nobody’s Child demonstrates circularity through repair and alteration services, clothing rental, take‑back schemes, recyclable mono‑material designs and independent supplier audits, helping garments stay in use for longer.
Together, these brands reflect a shared theme: designing clothes to last, supporting reuse and repair, and being transparent about impact.
Sustainable fashion does not require a radical lifestyle overhaul. It can simply look like:
- Buying one less new item
- Choosing Vinted, eBay, or charity shops first
- Repairing rather than replacing
- Wearing items longer and more often
- Supporting brands that design for durability and responsibility
The Beyondly Clothes Swap
On Monday 18 May, Beyondly will be hosting a clothes swap for colleagues, helping to give pre-loved items a second life while finding their next favourite piece. When asked about why we decided to put on this event again this year, Talent & Culture Coordinator Aoife Palmer commented, "Let’s be real, we’ve all got clothes lurking in the back of the wardrobe that we swear we’ll wear again someday… but never do. Instead of letting them gather dust, or worse find their way into the bin, why not give them a second life with someone else who’ll love them?"
Charlotte Davies, our Senior Consultant for Resource Efficiency & Circularity breaks down why this matters. "The fashion industry is one of the most resource-intensive. Textiles are responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions; more than international flights and maritime shipping combined. Not only are the manufacturing processes of textiles energy and water intensive, but they also release harmful chemicals, dyes and microfibres, and plastics into the environment. 62% of used clothing and textiles in Europe end up either being incinerated or landfilled. In the UK, items of clothing receive 7 wears on average before being disposed."
As the date approaches, the team is beginning to gather good-quality clothes, shoes, and accessories they no longer wear, ready to swap for some “new-to-you” gems. Any remaining items will then be taken to *Skipton Eco Day to be included in the charity shop pop-up. Mel Harper, Head of Brand, Marketing & Impact at Beyondly commented, “Skipton Eco Day is a free, accessible event for the local community, promoting environmental awareness and celebrating eco-friendly living for all. We’re excited to be taking part in the charity shop pop-up again this year following last year’s success, as it’s a great opportunity to raise awareness of more circular approaches to fashion within the local community.”
Our commitment to making a real impact and mitigating climate change is embedded across all aspects of our business. By coming together as a team, we’ve helped raise awareness among colleagues to make more conscious choices that support both people and the planet. At Beyondly, it’s these small, collective actions that drive meaningful environmental change.
*Skipton Rotary Eco Day is all about protecting the planet. This event will be taking place on Saturday 30th May 2026 from 11am – 3pm at Skipton Town Hall, BD23 1AH.
