Shop Pre-Loved The QT
Most of the environmental cost of a piece of children's clothing is paid before it's ever worn once, in the water, the cotton, the dyeing, the sewing, the shipping. Globally, the fashion industry produces over 92 million tonnes of textile waste a year, and 85% of it ends up in landfill (Earth.org, 2026). A UK-focused survey of 7,000 European parents found British households alone bin 216 million pieces of children's clothing a year, a pile 244 times the height of Mount Everest (National World, 2024). Mostly, it's not because the clothes are worn out. It's because the child has grown, and the clothes haven't.
Our sustainable approach
We're not just about looks, we're about making a difference. Every piece of The QT clothing is designed with circularity in mind: 100% organic cotton, hidden plastic removed wherever we can manage it, and every garment designed to be easier to recycle once its journey with your family ends.
As your child's QT pieces are outgrown, you're an essential part of what happens next: repair, repurpose, resell, pass on, or recycle responsibly. Learn more about how The QT is designed for circularity here.
Embrace pre-loved
Our partner thelittleloop is a platform dedicated to the resale of quality kids' clothing and shoes, the place to explore and enjoy pre-loved pieces from The QT and other brands, all year round. You can also send them any QT items your child no longer wears and earn credit to spend on thelittleloop in return. Browse available pre-loved QT pieces on their outlet here.
The benefits of buying second hand
Three reasons adding pre-loved pieces to your child's wardrobe is a genuinely good choice:
1. Lower footprint. Buying second hand reduces the demand for new clothing production, and with it, the water, energy and raw materials each new garment requires.
2. Budget-friendly. Pre-loved pieces come at a fraction of the original cost, so you can dress your child well without stretching the budget.
3. Genuinely circular. Every second-hand purchase extends a garment's useful life and keeps it doing its job for longer, rather than sitting unworn or heading to landfill. Globally, less than 1% of discarded clothing is actually recycled back into new garments (Earth.org, 2026), so keeping what already exists in circulation matters more than most people realise.
Your choices matter
Every day of the year, not just for one September, you have the power to make choices that add up. Choosing pre-loved, and passing on what's outgrown, teaches kids something worth learning early: that things, and people, are worth caring for well beyond their first use.
Thank you for being part of this with us. Our commitment to sustainability isn't just about clothing, it's about nurturing a love for animals and a fairer future for the children who'll inherit it.
