Tokyo, March 12 (Jiji Press) -- The Japanese apparel industry is increasingly promoting the reuse of clothing as it hopes to make fashion more sustainable.

Overproduction and mass disposal of clothing, which cause massive greenhouse gas emissions, take a toll on the environment. About 60 pct of the clothes sold in Japan are thrown away, according to the Environment Ministry.

Apparel companies want consumers to enjoy what they call sustainable fashion with used clothing.

In November last year, an unusual fashion show was staged in Tokyo's Harajuku district with many fashion brand stores. All clothes and accessories worn by the runway models were used items collected from consumers by apparel makers or provided by the models themselves.

Marketplace app operator Mercari Inc. hosted the event, where newly made products were totally absent. Eleven companies, including apparel makers, took part.

The venue had a booth where visitors were able to trade their clothes for items put up for reuse and to revamp old clothes using embroidery. Some 900 people attended the three-day event.

Apparel group Onward Holdings Co. in 2014 started selling used clothes made by the group. The proceeds are spent on environmental activities.

Collected clothes that cannot be sold are recycled into blankets and work gloves and donated to developing countries.

"We have a responsibility" to pass used clothes on to new customers, Takuji Yamamoto, head of Onward's sustainable management division, said, explaining why the group promotes reuse and recycling of clothes.

Apparel maker Sanyo Shokai Ltd., which has the long-established Paul Stuart brand, also began selling used items in June last year. Sales exceeded its target by about 10 pct.

"We want to run the project as profitable business while spending about two years to assess it," senior official Shinji Sakaida said.

Daidoh Ltd., which holds the NewYorker fashion brand through a subsidiary, opened a website last October selling used items of its own brands. It hopes they will appeal to young people, many of whom do not mind wearing secondhand clothes.