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Wearing Christmas jumpers once a year damages the environment, charity warns

A quarter of people claimed that they did not want to be seen in the same jumper twice: Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash
A quarter of people claimed that they did not want to be seen in the same jumper twice: Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

A quarter of novelty jumpers bought at Christmas are only worn once, a new study has revealed.

One in three people under the age of 35 admitted to buying a new Christmas jumper each year to avoid being seen in last year's festive knitwear.

Many of those surveyed also said that they would be inclined to buy a new jumper each year, with 29 per cent claiming that the low cost of the jumpers encouraged them to get a new one.

This year it is estimated that £220 million will be spent on novelty jumpers in the UK.

The new research carried out by environmental charity Hubbub, revealed that one in four people binned last year’s jumper and 35 per cent claimed that they only wear a festive jumper once over the Christmas period.

However, the constant need to buy “new” things is harming the environment. The Ellen MacArthur foundation recently exposed the waste generated by the fashion industry claiming that the throw away nature of fast fashion has resulted in an industry which creates greenhouse emissions of 1.2 billion tonnes a year.

Hubbub launched its Give a Knit Campaign to encourage people to reuse old jumpers this year. It suggested swapping with friends or customising old knits instead of splashing out on a new one.

Hubbub’s Sarah Divall said that the Christmas jumper phenomenon is a good opportunity to “reflect on our addiction to fast fashion which is having a devastating impact on the environment”.

She said: “I’d urge people to think twice about whether they really need to buy a new jumper this year. Instead let’s dig out all those Christmas jumpers hiding away in wardrobes and swap with a friend or donate them to charity shops or even refashion something you already own.”