Where We Shop Matters
Ways we can improve our shopping habits
Ways we can improve our shopping habits
Did you know that it takes about 1,800 gallons of water to produce one pair of denim jeans? Just imagine if all retailers disclosed the environmental cost of producing their garments. (1)
Shopping second hand, first
How can we minimize our overall shopping impact?
To start, a really solid option (because shopping slow fashion sometimes means spending much more to compensate for fair wages, environmentally-friendly materials and carbon offsetting) is vintage and thrift shopping. This allows us to repurpose old pieces and give them a new home, generally all while saving money and not creating the need for new resources to be utilized.
This is quite often more affordable than purchasing new items, and finding the perfect classic piece and repurposing it is a great feeling: these can become items we’ll wear for years to come and that have already stood the test of time.
Taking care of what we already own and making it last is essential, and the better we take care of our garments, the more likely they are to resell on platforms like eBay, Depop, ThredUp, Vestaire Collective or The Real Real. Extending the life cycle of our current garments is truly the most sustainable thing we can do.
Buying fewer ethically made pieces
To start, I love companies like Girlfriend because on each clothing item landing page, they share the amount of carbon dioxide prevented, energy savings and number of water bottles used to create that specific piece. This is crucial info that we should be requesting from every operating clothing brand.
Their factories use enviromentally-friendly technology, they are committed to recycling garments, they use eco-friendly dyes, BPA-free polyester for recycled water bottle garments, and the list goes on. You can read more on their standards here.
I genuinely love all that this brand is doing and I want to continue to share what genuinely sustainable and ethical companies look like.
I also want to encourage others to research who they are supporting and where their dollars are going when they're spending money at leading clothing brands.
The vast majority of clothing companies are mass-producing items that you can purchase for low prices, which seems great on the surface, but when you take a look— they’re contributing to air pollution and the earth’s waste, not to mention employing workers at unlivable wages in unsafe working conditions.
The reality is that an average factory worker in China earns $27.50 per day, compared to $8.60 in Indonesia and $6.70 a day in Vietnam. Generally speaking, this is for an 8+ hour workday, 7 days a week with no pay for overtime, which is also common in factories.
If you can’t find out if a product was made ethically via a product tag or brand’s website, it’s safe to assume that their products aren’t being regulated.
Have you heard of the building that collapsed in Bangladesh that was a workplace for thousands of clothing laborers for major US brands? Read about it here. 34 individuals died that day while making an average of $34 a month: no product is worth the lives of those producing it.
What’s the real cost of the $10 t-shirt that you might only wear a few times? It’s a cycle we’ve been taught to participate in and never question.
The first step here is becoming aware of the issue and identifying how you can be a part of the solution. I used to think that I couldn’t make a difference being just one person, but shopping secondhand first and doing my best to support smaller companies who are contributing to a healthier planet and positive livelihoods for others is an excellent way to start out.
There is a study that says the average American throws out 81 lbs of clothing per year, equating to 26 billion total lbs of clothing being sent to landfills and it doesn't have to be this way. (2)
If you don't think you'll wear a clothing item for more than a year, let alone a few times, consider thrifting it or investing in a timeless, high quality piece that will last you as long as you take care of it.
If you do decide to ditch your clothes, you can always donate to companies like ThredUp who resell or responsibly donate, so that they get to be repurposed.
I’d like to highlight that you don’t need to purge your entire closet and get rid of everything you've ever bought at a fast fashion retailer— if you’ve got good quality pieces that you still wear and love, keep them! Once again, the most important thing we can do is keep the lifecycle of our garments going.
I’d love if you joined me in the journey of supporting small businesses and conscious brands that are striving for a positive impact and encouraging the purchase of fewer, better things. Have a lovely day!