Brits are rejecting fast fashion in favour of sustainable shopping

Nine in ten Brits will happily buy ‘wonky’ fruit and veg, while four in ten are upcycling more – with furniture and clothes being most common projects

Four in ten Brits have turned their backs on fast fashion as they switch to more sustainable shopping methods, according to a study.

Researchers found that upcycling, buying “wonky” fruit and veg, and even repairing broken pottery – a Japanese art called kintsugi – have increased in popularity over the last year.

Six in ten of the 2,000 people polled said shopping sustainably is one of their New Year’s resolutions.

The research was carried out by WUKA, the UK’s first carbon-neutral, reusable and leak-proof period underwear, which has created a line of knickers made from fabric destined for landfill.

Founder Ruby Raut said: “Sustainability can seem daunting, but as our research shows, the nation is finding a variety of ways to do their bit to make the world a greener place.

“Whether it is buying wonky carrots, or turning an old skirt into something fabulous and new, we love how attitudes and behaviours have evolved over the years.

“For our part, to be able to provide women with a period product that not only works but is also doing it’s bit for the environment, is something we pride ourselves on.”

The research found that 40 percent of those polled now refrain from buying clothes from fast fashion sites online, and 69 percent would like to have better access to upcycled clothes.

More than nine in ten (93 percent) happily buy wonky veg, and 39 percent are upcycling more – with furniture the most common project to tackle, followed by clothes.

Half (49 percent) are recycling more now than they did five years ago, and 70 percent reckon they’re doing more of it than their parents’ generation.

However nearly a quarter (23 percent) believe that a government awareness campaign would help them to recycle more.

The study also found that 14 percent have taken up kintsugi – with 70 percent of those repairs on dinner plates, 67 percent on mugs, and 64 percent on bowls.

WUKA’s new sustainable underwear range is made from “overstock” fabric, which would have ended up in landfill or the fast fashion supply chain.

Ms Raut added: “We discovered that tons of new fabric, already produced, could be saved from fast fashion or landfill this way – resulting in our Repurpose range.”