Cumbria Clothing Collective aims to reduce the amount of clothes going to waste.

We’re very proud to say that it was founded by one of our PACT members, Gail Gravett, in December 2024.

Why our clothes shopping habits need to change

Clothing is an essential part of life, but the volume of clothing that is currently produced, the materials used and the environmental impact of the industry are not sustainable. The working conditions for many people working in the clothing industry are also unacceptable.

As clothing consumers, we have a responsibility to know how and where our clothing is made. We also need to be responsible for our clothes at the end of their life.

Fast fashion, where cheap clothes get minimal wear before they’re discarded, is having a huge impact globally.

There are currently fabric mountains sitting in the Atacama Desert in Chile, which can be seen from space.

Did you know that waste companies send a lot of UK clothing abroad for disposal? An enormous volume of UK clothing is drowning the people of Ghana in poor quality clothing and causing major environmental damage on our global south communities.

How Cumbria Clothing Collective can help

The Collective is working hard to raise awareness about the harms of fast fashion, through its website, social media, presence at local events and outreach in the media in Cumbria. 

Gail is also working with local charities and councils on initiatives to reduce waste clothing, as well as running repair sessions. A great example is with the Restore Cumbria network of charity shops, where Gail introduced sewing workshops.