Data protection notice

We use the collected data to create open-access analysis and statistics that will help the city of Berlin in building up more sustainable systems, especially re-use and recycling infrastructures, for prolonging the life of clothinges while reducing textile waste.

Climate impact

Your positive or negative 'impact' on the environment has many facets and is a complex matter - so it's not that easy to calculate.
The main categories that define critical aspects of the environmental impact of the production and consumption of consumer goods such as fashion are generally:
- Climate: carbon dioxide / CO2e emissions
- Resources: energy, water scarcity, raw material scarcity and land use
- Pollution: toxic chemicals, microfibers and waste
We focus only on CO2e emissions that affect climate change.
This means that just because one type of fiber or garment might have a relatively lower negative impact on climate, does not mean that the same is true for other categories. The opposite is often the case.

In addition, all phases of the 'product life cycle' (beyond production) must be taken into consideration.
In our simplified CO2 calculation, we'll also guide you through the 'use' and 'reuse' phases to show you the climate impact potential of different reuse channels for your clothing.
This reveals, how to achieve a better impact in the disposal phase and thus get a clearer answer to the question: What to do with my old clothes?

The CO₂ emissions of your clothing

During the life cycle of our clothing, the largest share of CO₂e emissions is generated during the production of a new garment – about 71-80% (Fashion On Climate Report, 2020; Mistra Dialogue Report, 2020:1).

So, by purchasing a 'ready-to-wear' item, a high amount of emissions is already generated. However, individual transportation routes during the purchase and washing behavior can have a strong impact on the CO₂e value as well.

The final decision on how to deal with your worn-out or unloved clothing also influences this value. At the 'disposal' stage, our GUIDE shows you how you can potentially achieve better outcomes and gives you a clearer answer to the question: What should I do with my old clothes?

Less CO₂ per use

The 'Impact per Wear' simply means that your CO₂ footprint per use decreases with every wear because you actively use or have used your clothing. The more you wear it, the better: This way, the production of your garment continuously "pays off" and wasn’t "pointless." If your clothing ends up in the trash after only a short period, even with minimal wear, greater damage has occurred, which is often irreversible. Ideally, conscious purchasing decisions also help you buy less clothing.

Your overall impact is not reduced during the use phase: In fact, it increases due to frequent machine washing and drying. However, by practicing conscious washing habits, you can regulate your CO₂ footprint to avoid unnecessarily increasing it. See our eBook on the topic of 'Care' for more information.

CO₂ Savings Potential

The CO₂ savings potential shows the likelihood that the selected reuse channel will save a certain percentage of CO₂e emissions that occur during the production of a new piece of clothing.

Our calculation formula takes into account:

1. The "displacement rate"*, i.e., the percentage by which you can replace the purchase of a new item in the future;

2. The "ownership guarantee factor," i.e., the likelihood that your clothing will actually remain in possession or be transferred to a new owner (either by you or someone else); and

3. The transport, logistics, and/or other operational emissions that each reuse channel involves.

(For this reason, the CO₂ footprint for the overall life cycle of your clothing will continue to rise, but the savings can offset it.)

*This rate is slightly lower for clothing you have already bought secondhand or vintage, as it is assumed that the item will have a shorter useful life in the next cycle due to wear and tear.

WARNING!
You cannot proceed from here.

Choose a different way to reuse your clothing – only items that are truly completely worn out should go into the trash! Theoretically, they would still be good enough for fiber recycling – once that becomes possible, we will show you how it works.

WARNING!
You cannot proceed from here.

Choose a different way to reuse your clothing – under no circumstances should your items end up on the street! If you think you can make your neighbors happy by leaving something out in the hallway for free (and make sure it’s taken if no one is interested), that’s a different matter.
However, exposing clothing to the elements outside only leads to pollution, as we unfortunately see all too often in Berlin. If you want to donate something, we’ll show you other options.

Fragen, Kritik oder Anregungen

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