Arts & Fashion
Fashion’s flip side
Circular fashion consultant Gemma Metheringham asks: is buying secondhand fashion a ‘good’ thing to do?
22 June 2025
Marking World Circular Textiles Day (08 October), Isle of Wight-based print-on-demand platform Teemill has announced it has helped charity partners raise more than £1 million in the past 12 months.
From Greenpeace UK and the RSPCA to the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), hundreds of charities use Teemill to create online stores to sell sustainable, made-to-order clothing and accessories, raising money for vital causes with every sale.
This year has already seen powerful campaigns, including CALM’s Lifelines collaboration with music artists such as Fontaines D.C. and Inhaler to support its lifesaving services, and Greenpeace UK’s exclusive T-shirt with singer-songwriters Jacob Collier and AURORA to raise funds to protect the Arctic.
‘To know that over £1 million has been raised for our top charity partners this year is something I’m personally proud of, not only for the difference this money will make, but for the way it was achieved. Every pound was generated through leading sustainable tech and circular products that respect the planet as much as they support each cause.’
ROBBIE MASSEY
Account director at Teemill
Teemill was founded by brothers Mart and Rob Drake-Knight on the Isle of Wight in 2014,
as a solution to fashion’s waste problem.
The company develops print-on-demand technology used by brands, creators and charities to launch e-commerce stores without upfront costs.
Its team helps charity merch stores with design and marketing support, too.
Teemill’s products are made from organic cotton and printed to order in factories powered by renewable energy.
Through the company’s Remill programme, people can return worn-out items to be made into new products.
The scheme also accepts 100% cotton clothing from other brands (excluding denim and underwear), helping to clean up waste generated across the wider fashion industry.
By keeping materials in circulation, Teemill is tackling textile waste – a global challenge that sees a truckload of clothing burned or buried every second, according to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
Looking ahead, Teemill is working on major, cutting-edge updates to its platform, making it even easier for brands and creators to sell products sustainably and create a waste-free future for fashion.
Circular fashion consultant Gemma Metheringham asks: is buying secondhand fashion a ‘good’ thing to do?
Just Stop Oil T-shirts now made with organic hemp after pressure from tabloid media.
Charities, local authorities and the public to bear cost of UK’s used textiles crisis.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Weekly ethical news, offers, comps and a free digital mag (quarterly) – what’s not to love?
