Christmas jumpers are made of plastic

Millions of Britons are set to scour the shops for the perfect piece of festive knitwear, as Christmas Jumper Day approaches (December 13th). In fact, according to environmental charity Hubbub, we’re on course to buy 12 million new jumpers this year, says environmental charity Hubbub. 

So what’s the problem? Well, there are already 65 million perfectly wearable jumpers stashed in our wardrobes from previous years - and two out of five Christmas jumpers will be only worn one over the festive period. Christmas jumper are just about the worst examples of fast fashion there is - and that’s already a pretty low bar to jump. 

Plus, most of those twinkly bits are made of plastic. Of the 108 jumpers available this year from 11 different high street and online retailers, 95% were made wholly or partly of plastic materials. 

The most common plastic fibre used is acrylic, which was found in three quarters of the jumpers tested, with 44% made entirely from acrylic, which is responsible for releasing nearly five times more microfibres than polyester-cotton blend fabrics and nearly 1.5 time as many as pure polyester.

Plastic is killing our oceans, and its most insidious form are the micro plastics released every time we wash a piece of clothing made of synthetic blends, which don’t break down like natural fabrics. Textiles are the largest source of both primary and secondary micro plastics, accounting for 34.8% of global micro plastic pollution.

Micro plastics are dangerous to marine life, have even been found in the Mariana Trench, the deepest point out of all the oceans - and god knows what they do to human health.

Tis the season to be dismal? Not quite. “We don’t want to stop people dressing up and having a great time at Christmas, but there are so many ways to do this without buying new,” says project co-ordinator Sarah Divall, firmly. “Fast fashion is a major threat to the natural world and Christmas jumpers are particularly problematic as so many contain plastic. We’d urge people to swap, buy second-hand or rewear and remember a jumper is for life, not just for Christmas.” 

Look for ethical designers

Hubbub’s tips for a more eco-friendly Christmas: 

·         Check what you already own - Two thirds of us own at least one Christmas jumper and one third own more than one. Bring last year’s jumper out for another wear, or pass it on if you’re not planning on wearing it again. 

·         Swap with family or friends – Have a Christmas jumper amnesty at work ahead of Christmas jumper day or swap with housemates. 

·         Hand on outgrown jumpers – Children will most likely have outgrown last year’s Christmas jumper. Hold a Christmas jumper stall or pass on to other parents. 

·         Go DIY – Create your own by jazzing up a sweater you already own. By adding temporary decoration you can use your jumper the rest of the year round and stop it becoming one-wear fast fashion. Visit Hubbub for ideas: 

·         Buy second-hand – with so many Christmas jumpers worn only once or twice, a second-hand jumper can be almost brand new. Try:

o    Depop – the app has plenty of seasonal knitwear available 

o    Beyond retro – the vintage chain has over 1,500 Christmas jumpers online and more in stores 

o    Charity shops – your local high street is a jumper goldmine.