To throw or not the throw...that is the question.

Sustainability.

The buzz word of 2019. Okay so if you haven’t caught up to speed now, I would highly recommend watching Blue Planet 2, especially the last episode, to get an understanding of the impact materials such as plastic have on our environment.

I have said this before, and I will write it again: we as consumers have the power to make the change we want to see in this world!

So, in this blog post I want to explain how we can make a difference through our clothing.

In my previous post I wrote about the abhorrent impacts of non-organic cotton farming, and in this post I want to focus on sustainable fashion and reusing our clothing. Let’s start off with some facts:

• 1 rubbish truck of clothes is thrown to landfill every second

• In the UK alone, 150,000 worth of double decker buses is thrown away to landfill each year

• Fast fashion is the second most polluting industry in the world

• Unworn clothes in UK Wardrobes amass to a whopping £30 billion

  Why is this so bad?

  Our environment has been devastated as never before in human history. We have the power to change it, and the time is now! The more clothes we throw away to landfill, the more waste we burn, the more greenhouse gases are admitted into the atmosphere.

  The more clothes we buy, the more we increase the demand for clothes from companies, they more material they buy, the more clothes are made and more clothes are wasted and sent to landfill - it becomes a downward spiral.

  There are two main problems which can be resolved to help the planet.

  1.Buy less clothing

  Currently, the UK (and the West) has a dopamine fuelled shopping addiction which has caused consumers to spiral out of control with their spending habits. This means that consumers are buying much more than necessary (or to be frank, more than is sane) which propels companies into making more clothing.

  We as consumers need to be more aware and mindful when we’re shopping, and look out for clothes which are made sustainably (I will get to this point in a second).

  In regards to throwing clothes away, I’m not advocating keeping every last bit of clothing so it doesn’t pile up into landfill. I’m all about the Marie Kondo life-changing magic of tidying, and I implore people to only keep and buy what they feels brings them true joy. When clearing out clothing you should aim to give away or sell as much of your clothing as possible - only throw away clothing that is damaged beyond repair, and when doing so make sure you take it to a recycling centre with designated fabric and material recycling.

  2. Check, double check, and check again on the materials you are buying

  Again, I would refer you all to my previous blog post about the dangers of non-organic farming. This post isn’t about becoming a minimalist and never buying any items of clothing again - it’s about becoming a conscious consumer and deciding which brands to shop from, favouring certain criteria such as ethos, sustainability and fair trade over affordability.

  I hope this post has encouraged you to think again about where your clothes are coming from and the impact our greed has on the environment.

  Love, Munia x