By: Jasmine Isekeije
It’s no secret that the fashion industry is wasteful. 11.3 million tons of textile waste end up in landfills yearly (Robinson, 2023). The fashion industry alone is responsible for 20% of the world’s pollution (Robinson, 2023). Some efforts are being made by companies to help reduce the amount of waste they produce when manufacturing clothing. For example Nike has a line of products that are made with sustainable resources. But, it’s not just up to companies to help reduce their waste, consumers can help as well. In this article I will give three ways consumers can help reduce fashion waste.
Thrifting
Instead of buying new clothes from the mall, try thrifting. You will be surprised by the amount of trendy and gently used clothes you can find in thrift stores. Thrifting is also a cheaper option compared to buying clothes brand new. Depending on where you thrift you have the opportunity to support local charities which helps the economy.
Repair and reuse
Upcycling is a popular way to add some more life to old clothes. You can completely change the style of a shirt just by cropping it or cutting out the neckline. The scraps used from the cut shirt can be used for cleaning rags or other craft projects. There are many things you can do with old clothes other than wearing them, you just have to be creative and open minded.
Know who you are buying from
If you want to shop from sustainable brands then first you must do research to find out which ones are actually sustainable. It can be a headache searching through the information section of a brand but there’s another way. The site “Good on You” allows you to type in a brand to see their environmental impact (Burkhardt & Tracy, 2023). This is one of many cities dedicated to helping consumers find sustainable brands.
If we want to reduce the amount of environmental damage caused by fashion then consumers and producers must work together to make a change. So let’s all follow these tips so that we can help preserve the planet.
References
At least 20% sustainable material. Nike.com. Nike.com. (n.d.). https://www.nike.com/w/sustainable-materials-3ngp4
Burkhardt, K., & Tracy, J. (2023, April 25). 15 sustainable clothing brands to Help You Feel Better About Your Closet | CNN underscored. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/cnn-underscored/fashion/best-sustainable-clothing-brands
Robinson, D. (2023, September 16). The biggest environmental problems of 2021. Earth.Org. https://earth.org/the-biggest-environmental-problems-of-our-lifetime/