---
title: Why Altering Beats Buying New
description: "### **Smaller carbon footprint** - Altering an existing garment uses **up to 85 % less CO₂** than manufacturing a new one (Source: WRAP UK textile impact study). - Tailor’s machines run minutes, not the hours of industrial cutting, sewing, finishing, and global…"
url: "https://iseam.uk/docs/eco-benefits/"
updated: "2025-07-20"
category: Customer Help Center
---

# Why Altering Beats Buying New

### **Smaller carbon footprint**

- Altering an existing garment uses **up to 85 % less CO₂** than manufacturing a new one (Source: WRAP UK textile impact study).
- Tailor’s machines run minutes, not the hours of industrial cutting, sewing, finishing, and global shipping.

### **Huge water savings**

- A single pair of new jeans consumes roughly **7,000 L of water** from cotton field to finishing.
- Hemming or tapering those jeans uses only the water in a steam iron—measured in millilitres.

### **Landfill reduction**

- The average UK resident discards **3.1 kg of textiles** each year.
- Extending wear by just **nine months** cuts a garment’s landfill footprint by 20–30 %.

### **Less chemical waste**

- No fresh dye baths, bleaching, or fabric treatments are needed when you keep what you already own.
- Tailors use thread, not toxins.

### **Direct cost savings**

- Most iSeam.uk alterations cost **20–40 %** of a comparable new item.
- Better fit means you actually wear the piece—unlike “aspirational” sale buys that linger unworn.

### **Supports local skills**

- Every alteration order funds independent UK tailors rather than overseas mass-production.
- Keeps traditional sewing expertise alive and creates flexible jobs.

### **Quick eco checklist before buying new**

1. Can a hem raise, waist nip, or zip swap fix it?
2. Will you wear it at least 30 more times after alteration?
3. Is repair cheaper than replacing with equal quality?

If the answer is “yes” to any of these, altering wins—for your wallet and the planet.