Dear Supporter,

Have you signed up to Oxfam Ireland Second Hand September 2024?

By saying YES to Second Hand September you are playing a crucial role in making more sustainable choices that will have a positive impact for both people and planet.

Millions of items of clothing end up in landfills across Ireland every year. These textiles are decomposing in the ground and destroying our environment. Immense pressure is being placed on our planet and on people in communities most affected by the crisis.

Here are some astonishing facts about the fashion industry:

• The fashion industry is a major polluter due to fast fashion’s high production volume.

• The textile sector contributes 10% to global pollution. 

• It would take 13 years to drink the amount of water needed to make one t-shirt and a pair of jeans.

• Less than 1% of global textiles are recycled, according to the Government of Ireland Waste Action Plan.

• Remarkably, clothing takes up to 200 years to decompose fully, underscoring the need to embrace sustainable choices such as second-hand clothing, especially this September.

By shopping second hand and more sustainably, you're giving clothes a longer life, slowing down fast fashion, and helping to protect our planet. 

In Solidarity, 

Sinéad Roche, She/Her

Campaigns Executive, Oxfam Ireland