OUR GUIDE TO SUSTAINABLE SHOPPING
Do you want to live within the planet’s boundaries and slow down climate change? Then to quote the great Vivienne Westwood “buy less, choose well and make it last”.
So before you click add to bag on your favourite fashion website we recommend asking yourself the following questions....
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1) Do I need it?
- Is there anything similar in your wardrobe already?
2) Do I absolutely love it?
- We believe loved clothes really do last!
3) Will I wear it a lot?
- Keeping and wearing a garment for an extra nine months can significantly reduce its
carbon footprint.
- If you’re buying for a special occasion, think about whether it's a style you can dress
down and wear afterwards in other ways? Or look for styles you know you’ll keep
wearing year after year? If you really only want to wear it once, could you rent or
borrow it?
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7) Can I buy it secondhand or vintage?
- The fact that 84% of a garments carbon footprint is created by making raw materials
and turning them into fabrics makes shopping preloved fashion a very sustainable
option.
- The good news is that the secondhand fashion market is growing 21 times faster
than the main fashion industry! Shop around, there’s lots to choose from.
8) Does it fit me?
- One of the main reasons clothes languish unworn in our wardrobes is that they don’t
fit us.
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4) What’s it made of?
- At least 8,000 different chemicals are used to turn raw materials into textiles.
- Growing non-organic cotton uses lots of water, chemicals and pesticides. If you can,
choose Organic Cotton or look out for Better Cotton Initiative Labelling.
- Canopy estimates that 200 million trees are cut down every year to make viscose
fabrics, destroying ancient woodland and wildlife habitats. Look out for Lenzing
certified fabrics made from sustainably managed forests.
- If it’s polyester how often will you wash it? Washing synthetic clothes is releasing half
a million tiny plastic microfibers into the ocean every year.
- Look for low impact sustainable and biodegradable fibres like non mulesed merino
wool and linen?
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9) Will I take care of it?
- Up to 60% of all the clothes made each year end up in landfill or being incinerated.
- Sometimes this is because of something as simple as a lost button, stain or tear.
- Do you like it enough to mend it or upcycle it?
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5) Where was it made?
- Could you buy something made nearer to home?
6) What about the people who made it or the company selling it?
- Check out Corporate Social Responsibility reports online. Do your research and
choose to use your power as a consumer.
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10) When I no longer want it, then what?
- Do NOT bin it!
- With the rise of peer-to-peer rental, swapping and resale apps shopping wisely might
turn your wardrobe into a future income stream.
- Give it to charity or find local recycling options.
Information sources
Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_fashion
Canopy
https://canopyplanet.org/solutions/fabric/
WTO
https://iwto.org/sustainability/
WWF
https://www.worldwildlife.org/industries/cotton
Lenzing
Better cotton
Canterbury Christ Church University
