Keep Britain Tidy urges the nation to ‘mend, not spend’ this January
Despite the cost-of-living crisis, Brits are throwing away millions of items of clothing that could be saved with a few simple stitches, according to new research from environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy to mark the start of Buy Nothing New Month (1-31 January 2026).
Key findings include:
- More than half of UK adults (52%) admit they have binned repairable clothing in the past year, rising to almost two thirds (60%) of 18–24-year-olds
- Shockingly 3% – equivalent to 2.1 million* people – threw away more than ten repairable garments in the past year, collectively sending more than 20 million items of clothing to landfill
- Only half of Brits (50%) would bother to fix an item that needed a minor repair themself, such as a missing button. Nearly a third would recycle the item (30%) and almost 1 in 7 (13%) would simply throw it in the rubbish bin.
The YouGov study of over 2,000 adults revealed a wide generational repair gap. Only 14% of 18–24-year-olds always repair their damaged clothes – compared to 41% of over 55s – and only a third of young adults (33%) feel very confident in tackling basic repairs such as sewing on a button, compared with 77% of older adults (55+).
In response to the findings, Keep Britain Tidy is urging Brits to take part in Buy Nothing New Month this January. The charity is encouraging the nation to ‘mend, not spend’ and embrace ‘Mendfulness’ – taking joy and pride in repairing items as a practical, calming and creative alternative to buying new. With 58% of people worrying about having enough storage space at home and more than a third feeling overwhelmed by their belongings, January is the ideal time to sign up to the challenge to resist the lure of the sales and learn a valuable new skill.
Dr. Anna Scott, Director of Services at Keep Britain Tidy, said: “The findings expose how far fast fashion and convenience culture have overtaken basic repair skills. Despite the cost-of-living crisis, millions of items that could be fixed in a matter of minutes are being thrown away, contributing to our growing clothing waste crisis. With two thirds of young people feeling guilty about the amount of clothing they throw away and over three quarters keen to learn repair skills to be able to ‘stitch rather than ditch’ their own garments, there’s hope that this worrying trend can be reversed.
“This January we’re inviting people to join Buy Nothing New Month, spend less and rediscover the satisfaction of making things last. By mending clothes, borrowing, swapping, buying second-hand or simply pausing new purchases, people can save money, reduce waste and rediscover valuable lost skills.”
Slow Stitch Club owner Skye Pennant, who runs visible mending workshops, said “Clothing repair has become a creative outlet for so many over the last few years and visible mending has really encouraged that. By choosing to mend our clothes in a visible way, we get to show off a new skill and turn our clothes into a wearable scrapbook that makes them unique to us. By drawing attention to the fact that we are choosing to keep and mend our clothes, we are actively showing the big clothing companies that we don’t want more stuff; we value the clothing we already own.
“Buy Nothing New Month is a great place to start if you’re looking to reconnect with your wardrobe and spend some time learning a new skill. Remember, mended is better than perfect and your visible mending is unique to you and your well-loved clothes.”
About Buy Nothing New Month (1 – 31 January 2026)
How to get involved
Sign up now at www.keepbritaintidy.org/ and join thousands of others ready to save money, reduce waste and live lighter in 2026. Follow @keepbritaintidy on Instagram for tips and inspiration throughout the month and share your journey on social media to encourage and inspire others.
Why take part?
- Save money: Resisting the lure of the sales and avoiding making impulse purchases could save you hundreds in January and get your bank balance back on track
- Try something new: January is a time for embracing new hobbies and learning new skills. Take on the challenge of repairing clothes instead of discarding them, upcycle household items or experiment with second-hand fashion.
- Live more sustainably: Every new item you buy has an environmental price tag, from the carbon emitted during production to the water and energy used in manufacturing and transportation. Getting into the habit of buying less helps to reduce waste and conserve resources.