We’re about to enter a new era in the way we shop for clothes. In response to fears about the current fast fashion culture and its long-term effect on the planet (as well as the conditions of makers, who often are not given a fair wage,) a new group of innovative fashion businesses are emerging. In hope of creating a circular economy for the fashion industry, businesses promote renting clothing and buying vintage, and have conjured up a huge range of exciting ways to do this. Read on to find out how you upgrade your wardrobe and fashion credentials with the sustainable fashion initiatives below.

MUD Jeans, Netherlands

A ground-breaking initiative which helps to create a circular fashion system, MUD jeans is Europe’s first jeans rental store. For as little as €7.50 a month, you can lease jeans for a year, and at the end choose to own or return them. If you return them to MUD, the jeans are fully recycled, broken down into their components and formed into a new pair to be sold again. The denim here is stylish and available in range of basic styles, meaning they’ll be an important part of your capsule wardrobe (which you can then top up with vintage and finds in clothing libraries, as explained further below.)

Vintage Boxed, United Kingdom

One of the best ways to enjoy sustainable fashion is through buying vintage, and if you’re looking for an innovative way to get your next preloved fix, why not try Vintage Boxed? This small, highly ethical business provides customers with monthly vintage fashion subscription boxes. For £50 a month, you can receive a lovingly curated box of three vintage items, and each subscriber can pick between three different types of box. Go for The Classic Retro box if you’re a 60s mod fan, The Boho box if you’re more of a Woodstock hippie at heart or if you’re into 90s fashion, sign up to receive The Nineties box. If vintage accessories are more your thing, they also offer an accessories subscription, where for £34.99 a month you’ll receive three different accessories; from silk scarves and leather bags to costume jewellery.

Lena Fashion Library, Netherlands

The concept of fashion libraries is a win for sustainable fashion lovers all over the world. Much like the idea of borrowing books, customers can visit a boutique, but instead of searching for something to own, you’ll pay to borrow it. Stocking up and coming designers, sustainable labels and vintage fashion, for a starting price of €19.90 a month, you’re given tokens which can be used to rent items for as long as you like. If you’re attached to the item too, you can also elect to purchase it from the library. Let’s hope this ground-breaking initiative in Amsterdam is exported around the world.

Silfir, Germany

This online boutique sells elegant, minimalist clothing but with a sustainable twist - any items you buy from them, whether it’s a recycled wool coat or capsule wardrobe foundation like a grey knit dress, are repaired whenever you need it. The first fix after purchase is always free, whether it’s repairing a tear or replacing a button. If you feel your time with the item is coming to an end - perhaps the size is no longer right, it’s worn out or it simply doesn’t fit your look anymore - you can also send it back to Silfir, who will recycle it for you. The brand facilitates a super-ethical end to end process which means you can enjoy your new purchases completely guilt free.

Klädoteket, Sweden

Gothenburg based fashion library Klädoteket, operates under much the same premise as Lena Fashion Library. Its chic boutique is located in a central location, and while browsing its wares, know that you can lease the items from them and return them afterwards. The store offers designer and vintage items which can be rented for four weeks, with leases available to be renewed for another month, and if you’re a huge fan of the item, then even beyond! For 650 krona a month you can rent up to four different items from their stylish shop, knowing that laundry, basic repairs and dry cleaning are all handled by Klädoteket on return.

Since the days of ABBA, it’s been well known that the Scandi music scene is one to watch - and the music festivals on offer in the Nordic region are showstopping events you can’t miss. From Iceland to Denmark, visit one of these Scandinavian music festivals for a cultural experience you’ll never forget.

Way Out West, Sweden

In industrial-chic port city Gothenburg, Way Out West is a summer music extravaganza that’s definitely worth a visit. Held in the beautifully landscaped park Slottskogen, near the botanical garden, over 30, 000 music lovers attend every August. With over 120 different artists attending from around the world, 2018 saw performances from Arctic Monkeys, Patti Smith and Grizzly Bear. There’s also a whole host of other attractions on offer, including award-winning vegetarian food from all over the world. When performances end at the main festival site, its sister festival Stay Out West takes over, bringing music to diverse locations all over the city, from shipping warehouses to old theatres.

Secret Solstice, Iceland

With its otherworldly landscape, there’s no better place to hold an outdoor music festival than ethereal island Iceland. Taking inspiration from the famous midnight sun of the far north, Secret Solstice takes advantage of the 24-hour sunlight with 72 hours of non-stop fun in Reykjavik, its compact but perfectly formed capital city. 2019’s line up promises performances from Morcheeba, Rita Ora and Russian art collective Pussy Riot. What makes this festival truly special are the unique venues gigs are held in – some performances are held in places outside of the city and in the iconic Icelandic countryside, like lava tunnels and hollowed out glaciers. If you’d like to explore the country while you’re here, the festival has partnered with a company that offers unusual day trips. Why not venture out to see the Blue Lagoon or a remote whiskey distillery, or try ice walking or whale watching?

Flow Festival, Finland

Located in Finland’s cool capital, Helsinki, Flow Festival is an urban music festival that takes place every August. Gigs take place in the atmospheric former Suvilahti Power Plant, and the festival’s organisers have teamed up with the University of Helsinki to bring ground-breaking visual art installations in the venue. The 2019 festival already has a stellar line-up of indie heavyweights like The Cure, Tame Impala and Robyn, and in 2018, over 84,000 people attended the festival. The city centre is just a moment away, so in between acts you can explore the historic city and wander around its lush parks and leafy boulevards. Make use of the early August weather and try out one of the coastal city’s swimming spots or sweat it out in a traditional Finnish sauna with new friends.

Northside, Denmark

Held in Denmark’s second biggest city, Århus, Northside has quickly become of the best music festivals in Europe since it began in 2010. Held every June, the 2019 event already has an epic confirmed line-up of Alice In Chains, Tove Lo and Bon Iver, and in 2018, while hosting pop heavyweights like Bjork, Queens of the Stone Age and Beck, over 40,000 people attended each day. The festival also uniquely focuses on sustainability, and some of its extremely innovative eco initiatives include only selling organic wine, food, champagne and coffee, and running an extremely successful cup recycling scheme - where over 90% of cups used are recycled. The festival won A Greener Festival award in 2016 for its commendable efforts.

Traena Festival, Norway

Tiny Traena Festival is set in one of the most enchanting places a music festival could be; on two small Norwegian islands flanked by fjords and incredible views. Access to the islands, Husoya and Sanna, is only available by boat from the mainland, and once you’ve arrived, you’ll be treated to performances in places that make use of the jaw dropping natural landscape, like an ancient cave, a church with blacked out windows (a humble defence against the 23-hour midnight sun) and atmospheric tents. Every July, Norwegian indie artists like Highasakite, Lisa Skoglund and Kings of Convenience travel to the island to charm festival goers. After catching a performance, you’ll be treated to some amazing food here; the islands are renowned for their fishing industry and you can feast on gourmet dinners with fresh cod, coalfish and prawns.

Within the many countries of Europe are some cultural events which have grown famous due to their oddity. If you like to seek out novelty while you travel, these festivals are for you - from mass beer drinking in Bavaria to hurling oranges at your loved ones in Spain, you'll be sure to have a once-in-a-lifetime experience that you'll be recalling for years to come.

Cheese Rolling Festival, England

The tiny village of Brockworth, Gloucestershire is where one of the most unusual global festivals takes place. Every Spring bank holiday (normally in early May), a nine-pound wheel of Double Gloucester cheese is let loose at the top of an extremely steep hill, and a group of brave participants race after it. The event is known for causing injury, as amazingly, the cheese can reach speeds of 70 mph. The Cheese Rolling Festival attracts over 4,000 people every year – this continues despite the loss of the festival's management in 2010. This happened due to concerns about the serious injuries caused by the event, but it still continues (unmanaged, however) due to local pride and respect for the tradition.

Wife Carrying Championship, Finland

Rivalling even cheese rolling in its bizarreness, the Finnish sport of wife carrying, or eukonkanto, has slowly spread and become popular all around the world. The basic premise is that each participant must carry their wife, or a female participant, on their back, while navigating an obstacle course. The pinnacle of events for this sport is the annual Wife Carrying Championship held in Sonkajärvi, Finland, where the sport first originated. In 2013, two BBC presenters took part, but reversed their technique. Steph McGovern held her male colleague Mike Bushell as she navigated the course, which according to the championship's presenter, was a world first.

Oktoberfest, Germany

In the beautiful region of Bavaria, Germany, a world-famous festival takes place every late September. At Oktoberfest, you can join in with 18 days of beer drinking, live music, delicious food and general revelry. Held in the city of Munich, it's the world's largest beer festival (and is accompanied by a travelling funfair) which is attended by over six million people from all over the world. This Bavarian festival dates back to 1810, and it's estimated that over 7.7 million litres of beer are served annually. Don't miss the traditional costume parade, one of the largest of its kind in the world, with over 8, 000 people dressed in traditional Bavarian costume.

La Tomatina, Spain

Also known as the world's biggest food fight, La Tomatina is a Spanish tomato festival that takes place in Valencian town of Buñol every August. It began in 1945, after a crowd of rowdy young townspeople stole tomatoes from a vegetable stall and started a food fight. Since then, the tomato fight, which usually lasts two hours, is the pinnacle of a week of celebrations, and uses an estimated 145, 000 kg of tomatoes. Since 2013, La Tomatina has been a ticketed affair, limited to 20, 000 participants, so make sure you enter the ballot with plenty of time.

Running of the Bulls, Spain

The most famous event on this list, the Running of the Bulls is a famously dangerous and controversial event that occurs annually in the town of Pamplona, Spain. Each July, as part of the San Fermin Festival, the town's streets are cordoned off and at 8am every morning, six bulls are released with daring participants running alongside them. The origins of the bull run were the transportation of bulls from the field to the bullring, where they would fight as part of another historic Spanish tradition. When this happened, daring youngsters would jump among them to show off their bravado. Since they started recording it in 1910, 15 people have been killed during this event, so perhaps be an observer rather than a participant of this unusual sport.

Busójárás, Hungary

In the small city of Mohács, Hungary, an unusual celebration takes place annually. Busójárás is a celebration of Šokci tradition (a central European ethnic group) which is named after busós, the traditional wooden masks which are worn during the festival. The festival is also known as the end of winter celebration, and the masks are worn to symbolically scare away winter so that spring can be welcomed in. At this awe-inspiring carnival, you can also witness folk music, parades and dancing, all in the name of warding off the colder months. The carnival lasts six days and takes place every February.

Every June in picturesque Swedish capital Stockholm, the downtown park Kungsträdgården floods with 350, 000 food fanatics. Hosting food trucks, demos and workshops, the festival doesn't only focus on food from Sweden, but you'll taste culinary magic from all over the world. Particularly focusing on organic and locally grown produce, you'll also learn about sustainable living. If you're looking for an introduction to Swedish cuisine, you'll find it easy to discover the best gems of Swedish food culture at this award-winning festival.

Räksmörgås

You'll have heard of Swedish open sandwiches before, and Räksmörgås is one of the most beloved. This iconic dish piles freshly caught shrimp, sliced boiled eggs, lettuce, tomato and cucumber onto a thick slice of rye bread. The pièce de résistance is the dollop of romsås on top however - a blend of creme fraiche with freshly chopped dill sprigs and roe. You can be sure that at Taste of Stockholm all the veggie components will have been grown nearby and that you're munching on sustainably caught seafood. Don't miss any of the other classic open sandwiches on offer here either - with toppings ranging from caviar to meatballs - the festival celebrates the tradition of smörgås in style. In case you're wondering, this unique Scandinavian dish originates from the Middle Ages, where thick slices of bread were often used in lieu of plates and devoured afterwards.

Pickled herring

The centre of any Scandinavian buffet, or smörgåsbord, is the iconic Swedish fish dish - pickled herring. Known in Swedish as sill, the Scandi's have been making use of the abundance of herring in the North Sea and Baltic Seas for hundreds of years, and the tradition of pickling began to preserve the fish for storage and transportation. In the centuries that followed, this became a delicacy, and now comes in a variety of different flavours - from garlic to dill - and its preferred accompaniment now is a slice of crispbread, or knäckebröd. It's also perfect served with a variety of accompaniments; namely sour cream, boiled potatoes and sharp-flavoured, hard cheese. Don't miss trying a traditional version of this at Taste of Stockholm.

Pea soup and pancakes

If you attend the festival on a Thursday, don't miss the chance to partake in the tradition of eating ärtsoppa och pannkakor, or pea soup and pancakes, for a Thursday treat. The origins of this unique tradition are unclear - some say it's due to Catholics not eating meat on Fridays and therefore satisfying their appetite with filling pea soup on a Thursday - but even the Swedish armed forces have been eating this hearty dish on a weekly basis since World War II. The soup is steeped in flavour, after slow-cooking with pork, thyme and marjoram. Make sure you try your pancakes with a dollop of lingonberry jam to enjoy this sweet treat the Swedish way.

Surströmming

This one isn't for the faint of heart - Surströmming is fermented Baltic herring, known for its sour and formidable taste. Traditionally eaten outdoors in late summer (on account of the smell, described as somewhere between rotten eggs and sewage,) why not crack open a can and partake in this century's old tradition? Created using a painstaking process, where fresh herring is preserved in just enough salt to keep it from rotting, it's then typically enjoyed on a slice of tunnbröd, which has a texture similar to Middle Eastern flatbread. It's also often eaten with a selection of condiments - some like Västerbotten cheese and diced onion help to balance out the intense flavour. To wash it down, order a shot of local snaps as an accompaniment.

Cinnamon buns

The Swedish tradition of fika is something you'll want to enjoy while visiting Taste of Stockholm. It's a social occasion marked by sharing coffee, a chat and something sweet. Swedish bakeries are bursting with unique and delicious creations, and you'll find the finest at this festival. Don't leave without trying a cinnamon bun, the most iconic of Swedish treats, or a semla - a chewy, profiterole-style bun filled with a delectable combination of cream and marzipan. If you still have room, try våfflor, known worldwide as waffles, but which are cooked to be thinner and crispier here than in other countries. The perfect topping is fresh whipped cream and locally grown berries, like cloudberries and lingonberries.