Why?
In 2015, Americans threw away 21 billion pounds of clothing and other textiles into landfills. This was a 16.4 billion pound increase since 1980, showing that the fashion industry’s environmental damage has only continued to worsen. You can help reduce your ecological footprint by buying secondhand clothing and avoiding fast fashion!
Shop Secondhand
Purchasing clothes from your local thrift store is a big help to the environment! Extending the average life of a piece of clothing by just three months would lead to a 5% to 10% reduction in the item’s carbon, water, and waste footprints.
Shop smart online
If you don’t have the time to browse a thrift store in person, consider checking out secondhand shops online. Websites like Depop and Thredup make it easy to search by size, brand, and price range so you can find exactly what you’re looking for in a sustainable way!
Host a Clothing Swap
Invite over some friends and have everyone bring clothing they are ready to part with. Then you can have fun trading items with each other, and you’ll be helping the planet in the process.
Extend Your Clothing’s Life Span
If you are buying new clothes, try seeking out companies that are fair trade certified by looking for the fair trade logo. This certification means that agricultural workers were paid fairly for their role in production.
Look for Sustainable Fair Trade Clothing
If you are buying new clothes, try seeking out companies that are fair trade certified by looking for the fair trade logo. This certification means that agricultural workers were paid fairly for their role in production.