Ministers reject plans for 1p per garment levy to tackle fast fashion

Government backs only voluntary measures for clothing industry despite rising environmental costs

Ministers have rejected recommendations from MPs to clean up the huge environmental impact of fast fashion, which sees 300,000 tonnes of clothing burned or buried in the UK every year.

MPs on the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) said a charge of 1p for each garment was urgently needed to raise 35m a year for better clothing collection and sorting, a move supported by many in the industry. But the government's response, published on Tuesday, failed to commit to this, stating only that it could be considered by 2025.