Sustainable Fashion Week Comes to Haringey:Tackling Textile Waste Through Community Action
by Amelia Rhodes
Fashion may be a form of self-expression, but it is also one of the UK’s fastest-growing environmental challenges. According to WRAP, around 711,000 tonnes of used textiles are discarded in the UK every year,
with nearly half of all unwanted clothing ending up in household waste. On average, every person throws away around 35 items of clothing annually, much of which is destined for incineration or landfill.
www.circularonline.co.uk, www.isepglobal.org
Against this backdrop, Haringey is preparing to play a leading role in Sustainable Fashion Week 2026, a nationwide grassroots movement championing conscious consumption, repair, reuse and sustainable living.
Led locally by Birch Arts CIC, the Haringey Sustainable Fashion Week Hub, the event runs from 26 September to 4 October 2026. Residents can take part in clothing swaps, workshops, exhibitions and educational events designed to reduce textile waste and challenge the culture of fast fashion. Activities will showcase practical solutions such as mending, upcycling and rewearing garments, helping keep valuable materials out of the
waste stream. www.wrap.ngo, www.circularonline.co.uk Birch Arts is inviting local organisations, artists, schools and community groups to host events, become resident artists or contribute to the borough-wide programme. A preloved fashion sale will also take place on 3 October at the Birch Arts gallery in Wood
Green.
Call to Action: Every repaired, reused or donated item helps reduce waste and carbon emissions. Join Haringey’s growing sustainable fashion movement and help create a more circular local economy. Register your interest at: https://forms.gle/ihUQQM5m5Xw5MBgGA. Together, we can turn the tide on textile waste, one garment at a time
