01 : shopping sustainably

 

Creating over 90 million tonnes of waste and using nearly 80 million tonnes of water annually, the fashion industry has a lot to account for (Niimmaki et al, 2020). Additionally, there are more than just environmental issues. For example, workers are exploited through unsafe working conditions, child labour and low wages.  In general, the idea of fast or disposable fashion has become the norm, encouraging consumers to purchase often and dispose of items after little use. Furthermore, ‘greenwashing’ catches consumers out, where brands pretend to be eco-friendly. So how do we make better choices? 

We can shop second hand and with ethical brands, make the best of what we already have and responsibly dispose of what we do not use anymore.  

My new year’s resolution was to reduce my fast fashion brand consumption. So, I unsubscribed from email marketing, unfollowed social media and completely stopped online fast fashion consumption. No longer was I exposed to persistent notifications: '3 HOURS LEFT OF FREE  DELIVERY’ or 'NEW ARRIVALS TODAY – STAY ON TREND'. These messages create extreme pressure to engage with the vicious cycle of throwaway culture. 

[https://www.statista.com/chart/19164/insatiable-thirst-of-fashion/]

Second hand purchasing, donating and selling is a great place to start. In charity shops, you will find an abundance of high quality donated items, some of which haven't even been used. With a reasonable price tag and donation to charity, does it get better? You can also dispose of your unwanted goods this way too. If you prefer online shopping, websites like Depop, Vinted and eBay, have the same benefits, and now charity shops are using these platforms as well. 

Purchasing new clothing can be sustainable too! Affordable & sustainable brands to check out: 

• https://yesfriends.co.uk/  

• https://mightygoodbasics.com/

• https://chnge.com/?utm_source=GoodOnYou%20App&utm_medium=Referral 

• https://frankiecollective.com/ 

Research the sustainability of brands through Good On You: https://directory.goodonyou.eco/

Lastly, I want to share some of my favourite charity purchases...

  High top Converse, £8.99           

  Red bag, £4.00 

                             Zara bag, £3.00                                         

Air Force 1, £8.99 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

References

Armstrong, M. (2019). The Insatiable Thirst of Fashion. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: October, 06 2021. https://www.statista.com/chart/19164/insatiable-thirst-of-fashion/

Niinimäki, K., Peters, G., Dahlbo, H., Perry, P., Rissanen, T. and Gwilt, A., 2020. The environmental price of fast fashion. Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, 1(4), pp.189-200.