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How To Protect The Planet From Your Wardrobe.

Want to do your bit for the planet? 

Of course you do, you’re a #nuddylover!

Well, after you’ve made the switch to plastic-free soap and shampoo bars, what’s next? There are many fab things you can do to be more environmentally-friendly, including making the most of your clothes!

The charity Love Your Clothes estimates that over 5% of the UK’s total annual carbon and water footprints come from clothing consumption. In most of our homes, a third of clothing has gone unworn for a year!

Keeping clothes our of the bin is a great way to save money (by not buying more clothes for the sake of it). It also stops all the water, land, and energy that was spent creating the clothes from going to waste.

Put simply, the most sustainable garment is the one you already own!

Repair

Lost a button? Hole in your t-shirt? Hem needs taking down?

You don’t need a sewing machine to do some basic repairs to your clothing! A needle and thread – and a ‘give it a go’ attitude! – is all you need.

Next time there’s a teeny imperfection in one of your clothes, try repairing it to keep it in use for longer.

Love Your Clothes has some fab tutorials to help you become a needlework queen – it’s sew easy!

Rewear

“Lizzie McGuire, you are an outfit repeater!”

Sick burn? No chance! 

Being an outfit repeater is a guaranteed way of reducing the impact you have on the planet.

It’s tempting to want a new outfit for every occasion, especially if you’ve got a wedding every other weekend this summer. But, styling up the clothes you’ve already got with different accessories is much better for the planet.

If you really want something new, renting outfits is another sustainable option!

 

Resell

It’s never been easier to sell your pre-loved clothes, thanks to apps like Vinted and Depop. If you’ve got something that’s in good enough condition to carry on wearing, try reselling it!

This is a great option for occasion dresses (how often are you going to wear your old prom dress, srsly?), as well as things that just don’t fit anymore. And if you’ve got little ones in the house, I bet there are plenty of outfits they hardly ever wore that could go to a new home!

Donating to charity shops is another great option. If you don’t want to resell things yourself, let them do it. It’s a fab way of supporting a local charity as well as being an environmental champion.

Recycle

Even when you look after your clothes like they’re your newborn baby, you can’t avoid a bit of wear and tear after a while.

Once your clothes are simply not wearable (it happens babes), recycling is the final good thing you can do to stop it going to waste.

You can recycle any old fabrics you wouldn’t be able to use – curtains, tablecloths, towels, they can all be put to good use as something new!

Not sure where to recycle clothes? This Recycling Locator from Recycle Now can show you where to recycle textiles near you, and many high street shops now have drop-off points in-store.

We all want to look gorge without damaging the planet. These tips are a great way to get started!

For more, here are some really interesting accounts you can follow on IG to continue your sustainable fashion journey.

@LoveYourClothes_UK

@Fash_Rev

@AjaBarber

@WeeMissBea