UK
An estimated 39 million items of clothing are being wasted because British consumers do not understand what the care symbols on clothes actually mean.
According to clothing campaign, Love Your Clothes, around a third of British people no longer wear items of clothing from their wardrobe due to washing, ironing or drying them incorrectly. A poll of 2,000 people found that at least 25% aren’t wearing as many as up to five items because of not knowing what the care symbols stand for.
Love Your Clothes has teamed up with Procter & Gamble’s Ariel laundry detergent brand to help people understand clothing labels so these textiles don’t go to waste.
Love Your Clothes head Sarah Clayton said: "It’s staggering how many clothes have been damaged as a result of not following care symbols. So before you put your next load of washing on give our challenge a go, as a quick check of the label will really pay off in the way clothes look, as people can keep wearing them for longer."