For decades, fashion has been all about ownership—the excitement of buying something new, filling up closets, and eventually tossing out pieces that no longer spark joy. But have you ever stopped to think about what happens to all those discarded clothes?
The fashion industry is one of the biggest polluters on the planet, producing millions of tonnes of clothing each year—much of which is worn only a handful of times before being thrown away. Every second, clothes equivalent to a rubbish truck are sent to landfills or burned. Some mass-market brands release up to 24 collections a year, yet 30% of all garments produced go unsold, contributing to enormous waste.
The good news? There's a smarter, more sustainable way to enjoy fashion—renting instead of buying.
Why the Fashion Industry Needs a Shift Towards Sustainability Now
The traditional fashion model follows a linear path: produce → sell → wear → discard. Fast fashion has made this cycle even shorter, encouraging shoppers to constantly refresh their wardrobes, creating waste like never before
The environmental impact is staggering:
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The fashion industry is responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions—more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined.
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A truckload of textiles is either sent to landfills or incinerated every second.
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The industry uses 93 billion cubic meters of water annually—enough to meet the consumption needs of millions of people.
This system is unsustainable. A shift towards circular fashion, where clothes are reused, rented, or recycled instead of discarded, is essential.
How Renting Can Change the Game
Renting allows you to enjoy high-quality fashion for a fraction of the cost and environmental impact. Instead of buying a dress for one occasion and letting it sit in your closet, you can rent, wear, and return—reducing demand for new production and minimizing textile waste.
By keeping garments in circulation longer, renting extends their lifespan, preventing premature disposal and reducing overall waste. It also helps curb overproduction, meaning fewer new garments need to be manufactured—cutting back on resource consumption, pollution, and the harmful impacts of textile manufacturing.
Most importantly, renting replaces cheap, disposable fast fashion with higher-quality, ethically produced pieces, promoting a more sustainable and responsible approach to style. By choosing to rent, fashion lovers can still enjoy trends and luxury pieces—without the guilt.
Why Renting Clothes Might Not Always Be So Green
Rental fashion sounds great on paper—wear, return, repeat—but it’s not without its problems. Here are some of the biggest criticisms:
1. Carbon Footprint of Shipping & Dry Cleaning
Each rented garment goes through multiple shipping cycles—from the warehouse to the customer and back. Frequent transportation adds emissions, especially if rental companies rely on express shipping.
Then there’s dry cleaning—a major sustainability red flag. Most rental platforms use chemical-heavy dry cleaning methods, which consume large amounts of water and release harmful pollutants into the environment.
What to look for: Avoid companies that rely on chemical dry cleaning. Choose platforms that use eco-friendly, water-efficient cleaning methods and local distribution hubs to cut down on unnecessary shipping.
2. Limited Lifespan of Rental Garments
Rental platforms promote the idea of reusing garments dozens of times, but in reality, many pieces wear out faster due to frequent use and cleaning. If a garment is damaged or stained beyond repair, it often gets discarded just like fast fashion waste.
What to look for: Choose services that offer high-quality, durable pieces and partner with brands committed to sustainable, ethical production.
3. Greenwashing in the Rental Industry
Many rental fashion companies market themselves as sustainable, but some are guilty of greenwashing—overstating their environmental benefits while ignoring their hidden costs.
For example, some brands claim to reduce waste but still encourage overconsumption by pushing customers to rent frequently. This fuels demand rather than solving the problem of excess clothing production.
What to look for: Platforms that are truly committed to circular fashion—those that repair, resell, upcycle, or donate items instead of discarding them.
The Verdict: Should You Rent or Buy?
The truth is, rental fashion isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. It’s great for:
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Special occasions (weddings, galas, business events).
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Experimenting with new styles without committing to a purchase.
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Time-bound phases in life (maternity, postpartum)
However, renting isn’t a free pass to overconsume. The most sustainable choice? Invest in high-quality staples, rent selectively, and support brands that prioritize true sustainability.
If you want to rent fashion the right way, it’s time to be conscious about how and where you rent from.
Wearr: Making Sustainable Fashion Effortless
At Wearr, sustainability isn’t a trend—it’s built into everything we do.
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Eco-Friendly Cleaning & Shipping – We partner with green cleaning services and use direct pick-ups whenever possible to cut down on emissions.
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Ethical Brand Partnerships – We partner with brands that prioritize fair wages, responsible sourcing, high quality materials and sustainable production.
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Zero Waste – No discarded items. We sell secondhand, upcycle, or donate to keep clothes out of landfills.
This is just the beginning. As a young platform, we’re constantly reworking our processes to make our platform more sustainable.
Ready to Rethink Fashion?
Visit Wearr.com and start renting with sustainability that actually makes sense.