We always say that buying fewer clothes will reduce the amount of garment production, thereby reducing the environmental damages during the production process. However, when clothes are no longer fit and you need to buy new ones, is there a more environmentally-friendly option? Here are some green tips for you:
- Reuse used clothes donated by family and friends: Clothes that don't fit your family and friends may suit you. Reuse the clothing from them can save the clothes from ending up at the landfill. Waste reduction can be achieved eventually. Furthermore, it is economical to receive clothes at no cost!
- Purchase clothes at second-hand clothing shops: When there is a need for additional clothing and no friends and relatives can help, you can consider buying second-hand clothes. In recent years, many second-hand fashion shops are available in the community. By collecting and reselling second-hand clothes, the existing resources can be effectively allocated in the community to reduce waste. Consuming second-hand clothing can also reduce the demand for first-hand clothing, which in turn reduces the production of garment. The environmental impacts due to garment production can be eased. Moreover, many clothes in the second-hand shops are fashionable which may be as stylish as some famous clothing brands. You can save the Earth and keep looking great simultaneously!
- Choose the clothing made from organic cotton: Intimate apparel (such as underwear or socks) is not sold in the second-hand market due to hygiene concerns. Perhaps we can pick organic cotton clothing as an eco-friendly option. What are the advantages of organic cotton over traditional cotton? Organic cotton is grown without using genetically modified seeds or chemicals such as pesticides or herbicides which reduces soil contamination and water pollution. Due to the absence of chemicals and the high reliance of rainwater for irrigation, less water is consumed to plant organic cotton which can save our precious water resources. For example, the production of a T-shirt by using organic cotton can save approximately 7,503 litres of water and reduce 98% of water pollution (Note 1), which is a significant contribution in environmental protection! Moreover, organic cotton is less irritating to human skin so it is both healthy for the Earth and human body. It is worth to consider organic cotton clothing by checking the label “made with organic cotton” when buying new clothes.
Organic cotton seems to have many advantages, but the production process still consumes resources. Therefore, we still need to adhere to the golden rule of "Reuse before Purchase" - consider having second-hand clothes before buying new organic cotton clothing. Let's start with our outfits to practice eco-friendly and low waste living.
References:
Note 1: veg. & Things (n.d.). What is organic cotton? Why do we need to wear the clothes made with organic cotton?. veg. & Things. Retrieved from: https://www.vegandthings.com/what-is-organic-cotton/
