• LANAH P is wrong to suggest that charity shops should not exist and everyone should aspire to buy all their clothes new, (Charity shops a symbol of inequality? Forum, June 22).

Today’s fashion industry causes huge environmental harm. Fashion is responsible for 10 per cent of annual global carbon emissions, more than all international air travel and shipping combined.

Every second the equivalent of a rubbish truck load of clothes is burnt or buried in landfill. And this is our problem; in the UK we buy more clothes per person than any country in Europe.

We must buy less overall and when we do buy choose second-hand. Charity shops are a crucial part of a greener future.

Rather than this being something “the rich” look down on, Charles III (in a 2018 interview with Australia’s Financial Review) talks of his delight at thrift markets, and how he keeps his clothes and shoes going through patches and repairs, with some jackets in his wardrobe going back to 1969.

In Camden we are blessed with charity shops to suit all tastes, from boutiques (Mary’s Living & Giving Shop in Hampstead, Shelter in Primrose Hill), to the joyful and massively underpriced rummage (PDSA in Kilburn, Age UK in Kentish Town). All the staff are friendly and helpful, they have excellent returns policies, and the styles change daily.

I’ve found so many gems here, flawless party dresses from Ted Baker and Karen Millen for under £20 (normal recommended retail price £200), multiple pairs of jeans in my size in perfect condition (some still with the tags on, never worn), an Italian silk tailored work jacket, endless fancy dress…

We should see charity shops as joyful windows into the future circular economy. Come and enjoy a little flick through the rails. And now I’ve given all my best locations away, come and buy Camden’s beautiful guilt-free clothes.

MELANIE ETHERTON, NW1