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Environment Minister Gordon Lyons has welcomed the launch of a new campaign to address the problem we face with textile waste. Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Gordon Lyons, MLA

The campaign, run by Environmental Charity Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and funded by Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA); aims to tackle public behaviour and awareness around textile waste and encourage consumers to never put clothing in the bin.

Welcoming the initiative, Minister Lyons said, “This type of waste is a growing problem, every week in Northern Ireland around 500 tonnes of textile waste is dumped, approximately 27,700 tonnes just since December 2019 alone, with many items having only been worn once or still in perfect condition. What is most concerning is that around 30% of this unwanted clothing and other textiles that are binned each year end up in landfill – that’s around 8,300 tonnes. Sending this waste to landfill means harmful greenhouse gases are emitted causing environmental damage and negatively impacting human health.”

The Minister continued: “It is vital that we continue to protect our environment for future generations and this campaign is a great example of the work that can be done to contribute towards this.”

Forever Fashion, a unique and innovative campaign, urges consumers to never put unwanted clothing in the bin, but rather to consider more environmentally friendly alternatives.

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More information on the campaign can be found here…