We all know that we should be doing our bit for the planet. The vast majority of us are well aware that we don’t treat the earth the way that we should, but so many of us fail to do much about it. It’s easy to push the blame onto the big companies and celebrities in their jumbo jets (and of course, this IS a problem!) But that doesnt mean that we can’t take personal responsibility too. Little steps that we all take can absolutely add up if we stay consistent, and one area to go about this in is your wardrobe. Here are just a few simple ways you can start to go about it.
Avoid fast fashion
This almost goes without saying because it’s so obvious, but if you can avoid fast fashion then absolutely do. These sites churn out masses of extremely low quality clothes that don’t last and have to be thrown away. Because they usually come from China and other far off countries it means that the air miles rack up massively as well and all in all, are just terrible for the planet. And that’s not even going into the unfair labour they rely on to be able to keep their costs low, like using children as workers and not paying people fairly. It can be tempting at times when you have a low budget as these sorts of sites have a huge selection of items and they’re less expensive than you’d pay elsewhere. But try and avoid them if you can, the planet will thank you for it.
Embrace second hand
Second hand shopping has become a real craze and for good reason, it’s better for the planet rather than things ending up in landfill and it saves you money too. Thrift shopping can be a lot of fun although admittedly it can be a struggle if you’re not a ‘straight size’ as very small or plus size items are a bit harder to find. Although sites like Vinted make it easy to filter by the sizes and things that you want and can get you some real bargains. Swap parties with friends can be a good way to get your hands on some things that are new to you, and schools and work places often have rails where you can swap out school uniform, halloween costumes and other things and take something in another size. After a good wash and iron, maybe a de-bobble in some cases most items you’ll find second hand will come up great and you save an item going to landfill.
Shop with ethical companies
Finally, when you do shop new then consider buying from companies that are known to be sustainable and ethical. There are loads these days, t-shirt companies that use sustainable inks and fabrics, fairtrade sites that fund small businesses and workers abroad by paying a fair wage. There are tons of ways different companies can help, and when you buy from them you support more businesses to then do the same.
