UnknownLots of people are planning to buy no new clothes this year, favouring second-hand or making do with what they already have. However, sales at online fast fashion sites, trade is going well. Could you give up buying new clothes for a year? Would you do it over concerns with the environment? Georgina and Neil discuss this fashion and environment and teach you some useful items of vocabulary.
This week's question
Do you know how many items of clothing were sent to landfill in the UK in 2017? Was it…
a) 23 million items
b) 234 million items
c) 2.3 billion items
Listen to the programme to find out the answer.
Vocabulary
pledging
publicly promising to do something (you can make a pledge to do something)
outsourced
given to another company to do, often because that company has the skills to do it or it can be done cheaper
undercuts
if a company undercuts another, it charges less to do a job than its competitor
stems from (something)
caused by or a result of something
illogical
unreasonable - not sensible, more driven by emotions than practical reason
backlash
strong negative reaction to what is happening
Transcript
Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript
Georgina
Hello. This is 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Georgina…
Neil
And I'm Neil.
Georgina
In this programme, we’re talking about buying clothes and only wearing them a few times before buying more clothes!
Neil
This is something known as fast fashion – it’s popular, it might make us feel good, but it’s not great for the environment.
Georgina
Which is why lots of people this year are pledging – or promising publicly - to buy no new clothes.
Neil
I for one am wearing the same shirt I bought seven years ago.
Georgina
You’re certainly not a fashion victim, Neil! But first, let’s test your knowledge of fast fashion with a question. Do you know how many items of clothing were sent to landfill in the UK in 2017? Was it…
a) 23 million items,
b) 234 million items or
c) 2.3 billion items
What do you think, Neil?
Neil
I’m sure it’s lots, but not billions, so I’m going to say 23 million items.