All the talk of sustainability in fashion, shopping your own closet, cost-per-wear, or clothes swaps being a norm have got you thinking about the carbon footprint of your style statements? If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the climate crisis, and not sure how to make a real impact, here’s some good news. Actor and sustainability champion Emma Watson announced a new partnership with thredUP, an online consignment and thrift store that has launched a tool that calculates how much your fashion habits impact the environment, based on what’s in your closet. In an Instagram post, Watson said: “Our closets impact the planet and climate more than you might realise.”
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The Fashion Footprint Calculator asks users a series of questions about the way they shop, including how they buy clothes (and whether they buy sustainable brands); how they clean their clothes (laundry and dry cleaning); if they rent their clothing; and how often they return stuff. The tool then calculates the annual carbon footprint of the user’s closet. It also shares the best ways to reduce that footprint, with explanations about how these actions make a direct impact.

According to thredUP, the average consumer contributes approximately 1,620 pounds of CO2 per year. Consumers mostly think that individual clothing choices matter. In reality, to change course, both brands and consumers need to take action and make positive changes.
The idea takes ground in the fact that most consumers want to do better, but aren’t sure how. The Calculator aims to show how each one can play a role in reducing carbon footprint of our individual closets to collectively create a more sustainable fashion future. According to estimates, the secondhand market will reach $51 billion in five years, while the resale market has grown 21 times faster than the retail apparel market over the last three years. It’s time for a wardrobe audit.

Sustainability proponent and actor Emma Watson launched a fashion calculator that helps you figure out the environmental impact of the clothes you wear