AS we start a New Year, many of us take the opportunity to clear out our wardrobes and consider getting rid of items of clothing that we no longer want.

The average person in the developed world buys 60 per cent more items of clothing than they did at the turn of the century.

We also keep clothing for only half as long as we used to.

A recent survey found that one in three of us consider a garment “old” after only one or two wears.

The survery also found that more than half of “fast fashion” items are disposed of in under a year.

That is the equivalent of one rubbish truck of textiles which is landfilled or burned every second.

This type of behaviour is contributing more to climate change now than air and sea travel combined.

So if you are one of the people who are about to ‘spring clean’ your wardrobe, why not consider donating any items you no longer want to a charity shop.

By doing this someone else can make good use of them and that way your clothes and other items aren't condemned straight to the rubbish bin.

And not only will you be providing someone with the opportunity to make use of unwanted items, you will also be reducing your impact on the planet by preventing the items going to land-fill sites.

You may even want to go one step further and take a look in your local charity shop.

You can see what items of clothing and items they may have that you would perhaps consider rather than buying new from the high street.

There are always quality bargains to be had.