Europe plans to introduce a sustainable textiles strategy to crack down on fast fashion to make the clothing more durable, reusable, repairable and recyclable. The strategywill target clothes at every stage of use, including design, repair and recycling. The initiative aims to boost the market for sustainably made garments. Manufacturers will have to ensure their clothes are eco-friendly and hard-wearing. And consumers will be given more information on how to reuse, repair and recycle their clothes.

Iona Popescu, Environmental Coalition on Standards, says the rules to be announced by the European Commission are designed to bring in longerlasting products that can be used multiple times rather than worn a few times then thrown away. Similar rules will apply to the likes of electronics, such as smartphones, and furniture under an initiative known as the Sustainable Products Initiative (SPI), she adds.

It's estimated that less than 1 per cent of all clothing worldwide is recycled. According to the European Environment Agency, clothes use in Europe has on average the fourth highest impact on the environment and climate, exceeded only by food, housing and transport. For every person in the EU, textile consumption requires 9 cubic metres of water, 400 square metres of land, 391kg of raw materials, and causes a carbon footprint of about 270 kg. In the UK, politicians have called on the government to change the law to require fashion retailers to comply with environmental standards.