Old vs New? Give clothes a second life

Statistics reports published by the European Environment Agency, show that more than 30% of clothes in Europeans wardrobes have not been used for at least a year. The term being out of fashion somehow gives the right to discard a garment even if the clothes are in good condition and still useful. Furthermore, low priced garments can be thrown away after just seven or eight wears. Once discarded, over half of the garments are not recycled, but end up in mixed household waste and are subsequently sent to incinerators or landfills.

There are already too many clothes on the planet, so let’s wear them first. By doing this not only will you save the environment but you’ll get a unique look, fulfil your shopping desires and save money.

According to Fee Gilfeather, second hand clothing is giving clothes a second life and it's slowing down the fast fashion cycle.

# ChooseUsed

Instead of going to fast fashion stores, choose vintage or second hand stores, flea markets and online marketplaces. Recently, shopping in second hand shops has become more fashionable and you can find these types of shops all around the world. Many websites and apps also offer all kinds of second hand options ranging from the cheapest to brand-name clothes.

ThredUP also informs that if everyone in the US bought one used item instead of new in 2019, it would have saved nearly 6 billion lbs of carbon emissions - the equivalent of taking over half a million cars off the road for an entire year.

Swap your clothes in “Wardrobe Events”

Clothes swapping is one of the most environmentally friendly approaches to minimize clothing waste. Whether you are concerned about your fashion footprint or just simply love shopping this type of initiative is right for you. Participants gather together with wardrobe items they no longer want or wear, and swap them with others. You can also organize it among your friends and update your wardrobe without buying new clothes or sending discarded clothes to landfills.

Clothes swapping is one of the most environmentally friendly approaches to minimize clothing waste.

Repair and get creative

10,000 litres of water are needed to make a single pair of jeans. By repairing them into something else functional, like grocery bag, denim basket or picnic blanket you can reduce the environmental impact of your clothes. Check for sewing class online which will give you all the details you need to reuse your old garments. In case you don’t have time, ask your tailor to help to repair your old clothes into something new.

Sell your stuff

You can make some extra money by selling your garments that you do not want anymore. Online places like ASOS Marketplace, ThredUP, Vinted and many others give you chance to clean out your closet and give your clothes a second life. For example, reselling a cotton T-shirt second hand versus throwing it away, reduces its carbon impact by 14%.

Donate

Donating your clothes is a great way to contribute to the community while also clearing out space in your wardrobe. Donate to organisations like Hospice that will make a positive change thanks to your donations. Moreover, other non-profit organisations, prepare disadvantaged people to enter the workforce by styling them for their first interview or first day on the job. In this sense, you know that your clothes won’t be sitting on a shelf, but instead helping someone in need to gain an advantage they couldn’t have before.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope you have found this topic useful and helpful. Please leave your comments below.

All references available on request.