Keep the love alive
Fast fashion has encouraged the mindset that our clothes are disposable, facilitated in part by brands increasing the number of trends they release throughout the year and keeping prices down low. Let's face it, if you buy a t-shirt that costs less than your latte, it doesn't take much to throw it out and replace it with something new without giving much thought to the matter. The truth is that the throw-away mindset created by fast fashion is taking a monumental toll on the environment.
Our clothes have an environmental impact at every stage of their life cycle, from growing the raw materials, creating the garment and transporting it to the point of sale, to how long it’s worn, how it’s cared for, and finally, how it’s discarded. While it may be difficult to find out exactly where the cotton in your t-shirt was grown, or how far that t-shirt has travelled around the world before it reached your wardrobe, the good news is that a large amount of the environmental impact of our clothes happens after they’ve been bought.
Why is this good news? Because it means we can easily find ways to minimise the effect our clothes have on the planet. HURRAH.
A recent report found that consumers are making improvements when it comes to lowering the impact of their clothes by doing things like washing at lower temperatures (WIN). Trouble is, "...despite [these] improvements, carbon emissions are higher due to the increase in the total amount of new clothing being bought" (NOT SO WIN). On average, consumers use an item of clothing for just 3.3 years before getting rid of it. In 2016 over 1 million tonnes of clothing was bought, (up by over 200,000 tonnes since 2012) and an estimated 300,000 tonnes of clothing was sent to landfill in the UK alone.
By extending the life of our clothes - wearing them for longer and repairing them instead of throwing them away - we can significantly reduce their environmental impact.
The Together Street Challenge for February is all about sharing the love and building lasting relationships (with our clothes, not other humans; you'll need a different website for that).
Part 1: Share the love
Most of us own at least one item of clothing that’s special to us for one reason or another. It could be the comfiest jumper EVER, a jacket that makes you feel like a rock star, or a t-shirt that brings back awesome memories. This month we want to hear about the gems you've got in your wardrobe, so dig out an item of clothing (or two, or three...) that you love, take a pic and tell us why you love it.
"@togetherstreet I love my _________________ because _________________"
Part 2: Revive that lovin' feeling
Got an item of clothing that's been sitting at the back of your wardrobe waiting for a button to be sewn on / have the zipper repaired / the hem taken up? Take time this month to show it some love by repairing it yourself, enlist a friend who knows their stuff to show you how (or do it for you!) or pop down to your local tailor and ask them to do their thing. Don’t forget to send us a pic through the website or via social media - we *love* hearing from you!
Keep an eye on the blog this month as we'll be sharing more tips and some brilliant resources to help you love the planet by loving your clothes.