What are your resolutions for 2020? To lose weight? Spend less money? How about to soften your carbon footprint? To be honest, it’s not all just about swapping your straw for a metal one or carrying a glass water bottle. While we do applaud all those efforts, how you shop can make a big impact on the world as well.
You might not know this, but the fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries of this era. The mass production of fast fashion focuses on speed and low costs, which generates more and more textile waste, thus damaging the environment and polluting our oceans. And we’re not just talking about the harmful production of synthetic fabrics like polyester. Even natural fibres like cotton.
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For example, cotton is one of the planet’s thirstiest crops. According to the International Institue of Sustainable Development, it uses over 2,700 litres of water to produce a single cotton t-shirt. And as the World Resource Institute reports, cotton farming is also responsible for 24 per cent of insecticides and 11 per cent of pesticides despite using about three per cent of the world’s arable land. Moreover, every time we wash a synthetic garment, microplastics are released into the water. Which is why paying attention to the clothes you already have and making conscious choices when you do need to make a purchase are so important.
If being more eco-conscious and shopping sustainable is on your mind and you have no idea where to start, don’t stress. Stephanie Dickson, founder and editor-in-chief of eco-conscious platform Green Is The New Black shares her best tips and tricks to freshen up your look without buying “new” clothes.