How can we reduce our Fashion Environmental Impact?

 As I shared in my last blog that i was aghast to know how fashion is destroying the environment. so here I present 10 Ideas that help you stay in trend and at the same time feel good about it too.


Patagonia 's Campaign 

Patagonia 's Campaign on Black friday
  BUY LESS

Even the greenest garment uses resources for production and transport to your home, creating some environmental impact.A root of the problem lies in our excessive consumerism: we buy 10 while our grandmothers bought 2.We tend to think that buying new clothes will make us happy. Maybe we should reconsider some foundations of our lifestyle. 

  “The most environmentally sustainable jacket is the one that’s already in your closet…”

— Patagonia’s Chief Product Officer Lisa Williams





Buy Better Quality

Because clothes have become so cheap, we no longer care as much about quality. We just buy new garments when the ones we have lose their shape or appeal. Additionally, we  have all had the experience of buying expensive clothing or pair of shoes and facing the disappointment when two month later, they already look old or have holes in them.

If we stop buying poor quality, it will push brands to improve the quality of their garments. It will also allow us to keep our clothes longer, which is good for our wallets and for the environment.



Think Twice Before Throwing Out Your Clothes

Don’t throw your clothes in the normal bins! Most of them consist of synthetic, non-biodegradable fiber and will just pile up in the landfill. There are other options:

-Try to repair them. Sometimes with a bit of imagination, you can repair or even redesign a torn garment.

- Donate your clothes to your friends, family, neighbours, or to charity.

- Some clothes shops take back used clothes from their own brand or even from other brands.

- Put them in the textile recycling bin. Textiles can be recycled to make new clothing.


Buy Second Hand ,Swap & Rent 

Instead of buying new clothing, have a look at alternative options:

- Second hand shop: It's not a new concept! You can find second hand shops everywhere in the world. Many websites and apps also offer all kinds of second hand options ranging from the cheapest to brand-name clothes.

- Swap clothes: These types of initiatives are popping up all over the world. Participants bring clothes that are no longer wear and exchange them for clothes they will use. This is an economic and eco-friendly way to refill your wardrobe. You can also organize it among your friends. 

Read more about How to organize a clothes swap

- Rent clothes: Clothes rentals is also a growing industry. This is a great option, especially for clothes that you will not wear for a long time or often (baby or pregnancy clothes, party dresses...). Some companies also offer a monthly fee, allowing customers to constantly renew their wardrobe.

The organization of second hand, swapping and renting clothes usually takes place on a local level. Find out what is available in your neighbourhood.



REDUCE

Being a shopaholic is not only damaging credit card, it can also be damaging to the environment. Agricultural production, processing, trade and consumption. Growing cotton is just the beginning of the process, for afterwards, the cotton is shipped on oil polluting ships, and taken to factories powered by coal and gas where the piece of clothing is finished. The biggest criminals of this pollution are “fast fashion”, but the clothes are cheap for a reason. Instead of supporting the fast fashion industry, invest in a smaller wardrobe that will last longer. Reduce the amount of clothes you buy especially from stores known to be large polluters.



Reuse

Buying something new, rework your old wardrobe to match the newest trends. Turn your ugly flannel into a new trend by doing a DIY project. Trends are always changing, but the dress that we bought last summer will still be fine for this year’s formal. Buying more leads to more pollution and throwing away old clothes leads to pollution within landfills. I know what you’re thinking… that someone will call you an “outfit repeater” But I promise, no one is paying attention and it will save you bucks while saving the planet, as well.




Recycle

Recycling is not limited to paper, plastic and glass. Your old clothes do not need to be thrown away, and the clothes you buy do not need to be brand new. Macklemore sang about thrift shops for a reason; there are often amazing finds for an extremely reasonable price. Thrift shopping is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint and keep clothes away from polluting landfills. If the low price and low environmental impact aren’t enough to convince you, thrift shopping also gives your closet a cool vintage vibe. Why dress like everyone else when you can find something one-of-a-kind.



Repair

Always try to repair your clothing and shoes before deciding to throw them out. This is a big problem with fast fashion. Because the pieces are so cheap, it's hardly worth the cost to repair, nor can the shoddy construction withstand a repair job, so many people don't bother. It's a good reason to opt for higher quality clothing.

Develop a relationship with local tailors and cobblers, or learn how to do repairs yourself. Dust off the sewing machine, take a class, and start experimenting.



I also found some of the interesting ways to opt these options and create your own style.

i'll also try some of the new ways 

and will share some of the ways to upcycle your old clothes

stay tuned....



References


Messinger, L., The Guardian, 2016. How your clothes are poisoning our oceans and food supply. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/jun/20/microfibers-plastic-pollution-oceans-patagonia-synthetic-clothes-microbeads

Mak, P. Huffington Post, 2016. Millennial Shopping Habits Are Changing Fashion - Here's How. Available at: https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/01/14/millennial-shopping-habits_n_8980380.html

Natural Resources Defense Council, 2011. Polyester is a Synthetic, Non-Renewable Fiber, With Some Surprising Redeemable Qualities. Available at: https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/CBD_FiberFacts_Polyester.pdf

O Ecotextiles, 2009. Why is recycled polyester considered a sustainable textile? Available at: https://oecotextiles.wordpress.com/2009/07/14/why-is-recycled-polyester-considered-a-sustainable-textile/

PAN UK, 2016. Sustainable Cotton Ranking - Assessing company performance.

Schlossberg, T., The NY Times, 2017. Fig Leaves Are Out. What to Wear to Be Kind to the Planet? Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/24/climate/eco-friendly-organic-clothing.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur&referer=http://m.facebook.com/

coyne, A., 2018. How to find High quality clothes. [Online]
Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mTdqygbjRY
[Accessed 6 12 2020].

 

Comments

  1. These solutions can help us be conscious of our consumption, therefore it will help us save the environment.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Well explained the simple ways one can follow to save the environment. These can help change the environment a lot.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yes we should literally change our opinion about our second hand clothes,and before throwing them at least we should think if something could've neend done to it.

    ReplyDelete
  4. We should really follow the solution for our environment. The blog is quite informative

    ReplyDelete

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