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Did you know that there are several ways that your clothes can make an impact on the environment. Things such as the delivery of the clothes, manufacturing the clothes or getting rid of clothes can have a negative impact on the environment. If you are becoming more conscious about your impact on the environment and want to make changes to ensure you have a sustainable lifestyle, then follow these seven ways to ensure that your clothes are eco-friendly.
Don’t Buy Into Fast Fashion
Fast fashion is defined as “inexpensive clothing produced rapidly by mass-market retailers in response to the latest trends.” Meaning mass amounts of clothes are being produced at a low-cost in order to sell to consumers for a cheaper price.
Reasons why fast fashion is bad:
- The fashion industry produces 10% of the worlds emissions
- Workers in fast fashion factories have poor conditions to work in and only receive a fraction of the living wage
- It contributes to landfill waste
How Many Times Will You Wear That Piece?
Before you buy that coat or T-shirt or jumper think to yourself how many times do you realistically think you will actually wear it. If the answer is only five times then don’t buy the item. This will not only save you money on clothes but it will also reduce the impact on the environment. Thinking about the manufacturing emissions, transportation emissions and landfill waste ( if you end up throwing said item away).
However if you think you will wear the item more than 30 times after you have purchased it then go ahead and buy it.
7 Ways You Can Lead A More Sustainable Life
Shop Secondhand
When trying to look for a new outfit try to search around on secondhand shops before heading to retailers associated with fast fashion. When you shop secondhand you reduce emissions potentially save some money provide money to another person rather than a large corporation and you avoid fast fashion.
Places like Depop, Vinted, Charity Shops and Facebook Marketplace are a great place to start to look for clothes.
Buy Clothes From Eco-Friendly Companies
Buying clothes from companies that value sustainability are great to shop from if you’re looking to make your clothes more eco-friendly. Here are some companies that are sustainable that you could shop from:
Plant Faced Clothing
Plant Faced Clothing do everything they can to ensure their clothing is sustainable. They use recyclable kraft paper mailer boxes to package orders, use organic or recycled material for 90% of their products and make products in small batches to ensure nothing goes to waste! They have a variety of clothing that you can check out here.
Vegan Outfitters
Vegan Outfitters pride themselves on being ethical and planet friendly. Their promise to consumers to make their clothing more sustainable involves; solar powered sewing and cutting floor, 7x less water used than the average clothing manufacturer and plastic-free packaging.
If you’re in doubt about whether or not the company you’re planning on buying from is eco-friendly then check out their ‘About Us’ page. Usually if a company is doing their bit to ensure they are eco-friendly they will say in this section.
Consider How You Wash Your Clothes
Do you have a think about the impact washing your clothes could have on the environment? Consider washing your clothes at 30°. There are some clothing pieces such as jeans, shirts and jumpers that don’t need to be washed after every use. However, things like underwear and socks will probably need to be washed after each use.
Recycle Your Old Clothes
You can recycle your old clothes by either donating them to a charity shop or you could sell them on online or even hand them down to a family member/friend. If you are looking to resell your old clothes I would highly recommend checking out depop or vinted As there were usually some one on these sites that will be after something that you’re selling.
Upcycle
If your clothes still fit you but you’re just not happy with the way they look consider upcycling. Upcycling is essentially making your item better and different to its original state. You could potentially make them different by dying them so they’re different colour. You could even combine two pieces of clothing together to make one item with a mix match pattern.
How are you going to start making your clothes eco-friendly? Do you already do some of the things that are listed above? What is the ways do you try make your clothes eco-friendly if it isn’t listed in this post?
These are fantastic ideas Sophie! I went on a shopping ban over 3 months ago and have made the decision when I do buy clothes, not to buy from fast fashion brands anymore. I love shopping in charity stores, you can find some gems there! I’ve never really upcycled any clothes but it’s a great idea! Thanks for sharing these great tips!
Oh that is brilliant I love that! Yes I think upcycling looks great for some pieces although it is probably for people who love to or have the patience to sew haha!
Fab suggestions! I love shopping second hand for clothes, as well as being better for the planet you can also find some really nice pieces sometimes! I love the idea of asking how many times you’ll wear it too, that can really whittle down potential purchases. Thanks for sharing x
Thank you, you really can find some interesting pieces in charity shops can’t you? Yes, it saves some money as well which is always a bonus!
Great post! I’ve been trying hard to learn more about better choices for my clothes!
Corinne x