The R’s of Sustainable Fashion
Hi friends!
I awoke to more sad climate news that is close to my second home, Australia. The Great Barrier Reef is being bleached more quickly than ever due to climate change. While this is devastating on so many levels, I’m comforted by the fact that people are talking about how to do better for the planet.
At my book club last week, we started talking about clothing donations and recycling and I was reminded that we have a duty to share this information with others!
A simple way to pass on this information is the five Rs of sustainable fashion as listed below.
Reduce - buy less of better quality
Rewear - wear your clothes before you buy new ones
Repair - care for your clothes
Recycle - find a trustworthy recycling program
Resell - give your clothes a longer life via a resale app or thrift store
While we’ve spent a lot of this year talking about reducing, rewearing (the most sustainable clothes are the ones you already own!), and repairing (including caring for them in the first place!), we are going to focus on the next two strategies in the coming weeks, starting with recycling.
While greenwashing abounds in the sustainable fashion space, there are some really great recycling programs. And while I’m skeptical of brands that offer you credits at their stores when you send old clothes to be recycled, I know that we all need some positive reinforcement.
Below are some of my favorite clothing recycling programs. The bottom line is that it is worth the extra effort to ensure your unwanted clothes are staying out of landfills!
Marine Layer Respun - send them your old tees and they will be respun into new ones!
Patagonia Worn Wear - send in the items you no longer wear so that someone else can wear them
For Days Take Bag Bag - a great catch-all program – they make sure everything that can be recycled is recycled
Nike Reuse a Shoe - Nike grinds up old shoes to make new things!
When you're next cleaning out your closet, set aside a bag for each program so that all you have to do is send them off! Not too much extra work at all and totally worth it for the planet.
I hope you’ll help me share the five Rs of sustainable fashion and the recycling programs!
Until next week,
xo Kevin
P.S. If you’re looking for more sustainable style information, join my club!