30 Day Zero Waste Challenge
Fast fashion is a thing! I’m old enough (in my 50’s) to remember when my Mom took me clothes shopping in the fall for school. It was a BIG DEAL to get a new sweater, a pair of pants, and a couple of tops. That was a HAUL and kept me going until our spring shopping trip. Now one can go to the sale racks at the big department stores or discount shops and buy items marked down to almost nothing. The savvy shopper in me is triggered by these sales and of course I bring home way more than I need. Anyone else buy an item of clothing that sits unworn? What was I thinking? Not much. GACK! Time for another mind shift.
Bea’s 7 Tips to a Zero-Waste Closet:
- “Stick to minimal wardrobes, shoes and purses.
- Only shop a couple times a year to avoid compulsive buys.
- Buy secondhand clothing
- If you must buy new, buy quality with minimal tags (leave the shoebox at the store).
- Be ruthless on fit. If it fits well, you’re most likely to wear it.
- Bring a reusable bag for your purchases.
- Sell or donate unworn pieces.
- Keep some of your worn-out clothes for rags.
- Learn a few sewing tricks (like shortening a hem).
YOU CAN ALSO… take it to the tailor for a better fit so you’ll actually wear it, and keep a handkerchief in your purse/bag…”
The rest is from our friends at King County Solid Waste. 🙂
BUY WISELY
“While recycling items is much better than throwing them away, even the recycling process takes energy and valuable natural resources. The production of new clothing is also extremely resource-intensive, and unnecessary overconsumption of clothing can impact our lives and the lives of others in a variety of ways.”
LIFESTYLE
- Think about the benefits that may come from purchasing and owning fewer clothes, such as:
- spending less time shopping and more time for everything else.
- a reduced pace and complexity of life.
- having more money in your pocket.
Along with giving all clothes, shoes, and linens for reuse or recycling, buying sustainably makes a big environmental impact.
ENVIRONMENT AND WORKERS
Fast fashion—the mass production and sale of low-cost clothing collections that reflect constantly changing fashion trends—is having a devastating effect on consumers, garment workers, communities, and the planet.
According to fashion industry magnate Eileen Fisher, “The clothing industry is the second largest polluter in the world…second only to oil.” The communities most heavily affected by that pollution are those in which the clothing is produced—some of the least developed countries in the world with the most lax environmental and worker safety regulations.
You can help save resources and prevent negative economic, worker, and environmental impacts in the following ways:
- -Mend clothing and repair shoes that you already own to keep them in good repair
- -Buy only what you need, which for many will mean buying less
- -Purchase quality, durable items in classic styles that outlast passing trends
- -Buy secondhand clothes, shoes, and linens to extend the life of these items
- -When you must purchase new clothing, buy sustainable clothing, including those that are: 1)made from certified organic cotton using non-toxic dyes; 2) Fair Trade certified; 3) can be recovered at the end-of-life for recycling
REDUCE CLOTHING CONSUMPTION
Try these challenges to help make more of the clothes you already have.
2) 30 Day Challenge of Wearing Your Wardrobe – “…fall in love with your closet all over again…”
MORE LINKS:
- https://www.thredup.com
- Zero Waste Clothing — The Next Step in Environmentally Friendly Fashion https://wakeup-world.com/2017/03/02/zero-waste-clothing-the-next-step-in-environmentally-friendly-fashion/
- Zero Waste Fashion: Reusing and Recycling Textiles http://www.torontoenvironment.org/recycle_your_textiles
- http://www.patagonia.com/worn-wear.html
- https://www.thenorthface.com/about-us/responsibility/product/clothes-the-loop.html
- https://www.terracycle.com/en-US/zero_waste_boxes/fabrics-and-clothing
Quote of the Day:
“1. You ARE awesome! 2. You ARE making a difference. You aren’t alone.” – Kathryn Kellogg
