With conscious consumerism on the rise, fashion lovers have been embracing sustainable fashion solutions to update their wardrobes, like renting instead of buying. But turns out, it’s not quite the eco-friendly solution clothing rental platforms might have you believe. In a new study, researchers find that renting apparel could be more harmful to the planet than throwing them away. 

The new study reveals that renting clothes had a higher climate impact than wearing and disposing of them. The research, published in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Research Letters, examined five different approaches to fashion. 

It included renting, resale, recycling, wearing items for longer periods and shorter periods. Under each scenario, the scientists analysed the greenhouse gases emitted.