[Oxfam shop manager Max Dibden with West of England Mayor, Dan Norris]
Bath and North East Somerset locals should buy second-hand clothing to save pennies, and the planet, the region’s directly elected Mayor Dan Norris has urged.
Mr Norris, who leads the West of England Mayoral Authority, is backing second-hand September, the national fast-fashion-fighting effort led by Oxfam encouraging people to shop pre-loved and donate what they no longer need or wear.
Marking the annual campaign with a visit to Bath’s Oxfam shop on Argyle Street, the Labour Mayor said that only 10% of the average Bath and North East Somerset resident’s wardrobe in the city is second-hand.
But, he pointed to new research showing that if every single person in Bath and North East Somerset, and across the country, bought half of their wardrobe second-hand, it could prevent emissions equivalent to a whopping 261,000 flights to Greece entering into the atmosphere.
Buying and donating second-hand clothes gives them a longer life and helps to slow down fast fashion which produces dirty emissions when they’re made, he explained.
“It is time to move away from the ‘buying for buying’s sake’ mentality”, Mr Norris said. A focus on second-hand would also help Bath and North East Somerset locals with the rising cost of living, he added.
“I’ve always said the cost-of-living and climate crises are two sides of the same coin. Choosing second-hand is one way we can all leave a lighter footprint on the planet while saving some cash during this really difficult time for so many at the same time.“
I met him outside the store to talk about his support for the campaign and – never missing an opportunity – a chat about bus services, bike hangars and e-scooters.
