The joy of dressing is an art according to John Galliano, but when you realise that Australians buy more cheap fashion than any other wealthy nation (the average Australian purchases around 27kg of new clothing a year and discards around 23kg), maybe we need to rethink our artforms.
For the sake of our planet, we need to curb our clothes shopping by 74% to bring our fashion consumption emissions to levels compatible with the 1-5 degree target*.
Below are some easy tips to help you make sustainable fashion choices:
- Reduce your clothing consumption.
Organise your wardrobe regularly to see what you need, and think before you buy. Swap with friends and family and borrow clothes when you can instead of buying new ones. - Support the second hand economy.
Buy clothes from op shops, participate in clothes swaps, rent your clothes, use Buy, Swap, Sell groups or selling websites to buy and sell your clothes in good condition. - Mend your clothes and give them a new life instead of disposing of them.
There are many easy tutorials on youtube to help you get started with some basic repairs. - Look after your clothes so that they last longer.
Rather than buying cheap clothes regularly, spend money on a few quality items that will last. Extend their life by reducing the amount you wash (spot clean instead). Wash your clothes on a cold wash when you can to reduce wear and tear and save energy. - Up-cycle your clothes at home.
There are plenty of projects online, from turning t-shirts into shopping bags and plant holders to recycling your jeans into bags and bracelets. Browse Google or Pinterest for inspiration. If they can’t be upcycled, consider turning them into rags for around the home or find a place that recycles clothing. - Buy your clothes from ethical businesses.
The Ethical Fashion Guide will help you with your purchasing decisions. Choose clothing made of natural fibres such as cotton, linen, bamboo or hemp over synthetic materials (which are derived from fossil fuels) to help reduce plastic microfibres from these clothes ending up in our waterways. - Contact your brands and ask about their clothing production processes.
Consumers from all over the world are calling for fairer, safer working conditions for those who are employed in the fashion industry, and manufacturing processes that don’t harm the environment. The industry is starting to listen. - Check out the War on Waste Action Toolkit
(inspired by the ABC’s popular TV series) for more great tips on ways you can reduce clothing and textile waste.
* Source: Hot or Cool Institute via Guardian Australia
Photo by Becca McHaffie on Unsplash