NEW research has revealed that parents in the West Midlands unnecessarily threw away nearly 200,000 school uniforms in 2019 despite the fact they were still in good condition.
The news comes just days after the Redditch School Uniform Bank which saw more than 800 people attend and the passing on of more than 7,000 garments.
Organised by Councillor Joe Baker, it saw queues stretching along Market Place in the town centre.
The West Midlands study found that more than one in ten parents simply throw uniform items away once their children have outgrown them, even though they are still in a wearable condition.
When it comes to damaged items, more than half of parents in the region would prefer to throw a garment away than attempt to repair it.
This is despite the fact that new figures suggest extending the lifespan of a garment by just three months would lead to a five to ten per cent reduction in carbon, water and waste footprints.
The survey, which was commissioned by leading label manufacturer My Nametags (https://www.mynametags.com), also found that more than half of families in the West Midlands own brand new garments they have never worn.
