The debate about whether the Earth can save itself and continue to exist after humanity’s departure is ongoing. Maybe long after we’re gone, the planet will restore its balance. We continue to hurt our only home through ignorance, machinery, and negligence. Some aspects that aid in the planet’s suffering are fast fashion, mass production, and LandfillsIt is full of non-recyclable material. There are many environmental reasons that urge us to combat the fast fashion industry. There are also some personal reasons. You can make a positive difference by finding a new hobby or buying second-hand clothing.
Every week, there’s a new fashionable design that gets mass-produced and sold everywhere at an average price. People buy these trends and then move on to the next. That is called, “Fast fashion.” It’s a business with its own machinery that leads to overproduction and overconsumption.
Fashion is responsible for a lot of the current fashion industry. 8-10%of global carbon emissions. Most textile production requires non-renewable energy sources like oil and gas. There are also approximately 93 billionThe process uses cubic meters of water. This has a direct impact on global industrial water pollution as 20% of it is caused due to dying textiles.
According to KleiderlyThe average amount of time a piece is worn has dropped by 36% in the past 15 years. The rest of the clothes are discarded or donated. We have less than 1 percent Many of these materials are used to make new clothes. The rest ends up in a landfill, or is burned. Most clothes are made of a mixture between organic and synthetic fibers. The organic fibers decompose, generating methane, which has a very high global warming potential; it’s higher than the effect carbon monoxide has. The synthetic fibers could take as long as two centuries to completely decompose.
If these aren’t enough reasons to get involved in new fashion trends or to start buying second-hand clothing, here are more:
Why is it better to buy secondhand clothes for the environment?
- Conserving natural resourcesProducing clothes takes a lot of effort. There isn’t enough cotton, linen, or wool, and even if there was, it requires lots of work and farming. Synthetic fibers are now more popular, which requires more energy and labor. There’s excavating oil, lots of water usage, and mining for metals.
- Less packaging:Every time someone buys something new they get a new bag or fancy cardboard packaging. At the end of the day, you’re left with so much plastic and paper that you throw in the trash.
- Increasing the life expectancy of clothes when reusing, you’re getting the best and most of that item. If that item is being sold somewhere, then it’s probably not cut in half or washed out; there’s still life in it. Don’t throw it away.
Why is buying second-hand clothes better for you than buying new clothes?
- How to save moneyIt’s so expensive to buy new clothes nowadays. It’s always something trendy or designer. While saving the environment, you can also save money that’s worth spending on something more long-term.
- Unique clothes:Instead of buying new clothes and looking like everyone else, thrift shopping gives buyers the opportunity to find unique pieces. Whether it’s a couple of years old vest or a sweatshirt that was fashionable a year ago, you can probably pull it off and bring it back.
- Luxurious brands at a low price:Designer clothes are often bought by bougie people who then end up getting bored and giving them away. You can be the one to find very high quality clothes at a thrift shop, as they’re filled with many.
Second-hand clothes can help save the environment, energy and material, as well as work. It can also make it easy to be financially responsible and stylish. It’s worth a try.
