Have you ever wondered whether sewing your own clothes—and dealing with fabric scraps—is truly sustainable? We’re here to reassure you: yes, sewing can be a wonderfully sustainable hobby. In this series, we’ll explore sustainability in the fashion industry and how sewing empowers us to make better choices.
Before diving into the benefits of sewing, it’s worth considering what we’re comparing it to. The majority of clothing available today falls under the category of fast fashion—so let’s take a closer look.
Fast fashion delivers constantly updated collections at ultra-low prices. While this means trendy styles are always on offer and clothing is incredibly affordable, the downsides are significant.
Each year, far more garments are produced than sold—estimates suggest three to seven excess pieces per person in Germany. What happens to the rest? Much of it is discarded before ever reaching a customer. That includes defective items, production waste, and leftover materials.
Even among the clothing we buy, a substantial portion goes unused. On average, each person in Germany purchases around 60 garments per year, but only 48 are actually worn. That’s nearly 20% of clothing going straight from hanger to landfill—unworn.
Image rights: naeyen GmbH
You might be thinking: "I’ll donate my clothes—they’ll get recycled!" That’s a lovely thought—but unfortunately, reality paints a different picture.
Only 1% of used clothing in Germany is truly recycled. The vast majority—an estimated 87%—is incinerated, with the rest buried in landfills.
In other words, out of about 67 garments produced per person annually, less than one is recycled. The remainder adds to a mounting environmental burden.
When you compare this to what you sew yourself, the contrast is clear:
Do you sew 67 pieces of clothing a year—and leave 19 of them untouched?
Do you wear your handmade items only four times before discarding them?
Do you work with poor-quality fabric and haphazard workmanship?
Probably not.
Sewing is often slower, more thoughtful, and personal. It encourages us to invest time in quality and make intentional choices. And yes—there’s still room to grow more sustainable, but every stitch counts in the right direction.
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