Today US citizens buy five times more clothes than during the 1980s. The average US household has over 300,000 things, and the average American throws away 81.5 pounds of clothing annually. If every person on Earth lived this way we would need approximately 5.1 Earths to sustain ourselves. If this sounds shocking, it’s because it is. In recent years consumption levels in the US have risen exponentially. The way we are living now is not in a way our planet can sustain; a drastic change is needed.
Don’t fret, while hearing these statistics may make the situation seem hopeless, I promise you it’s not. We don’t need to find a new planet or develop some sort of waste-destroying machine. All that is needed to limit your consumption and live sustainably are some changes to your everyday lifestyle. Here are three simple ways you can do so.
Put the END in Microtrend
Today, with social media apps like TikTok and Instagram, movements and ideas are shared rapidly. Microtrends are trends that gain a high amount of attention but for a fleeting amount of time. Many of these trends revolve around fashion and aesthetics and encourage viewers to buy a certain item or piece of clothing just for it to go out of style in less than a month. One example of a microtrend is the surge in popularity of cowprint items in 2020, during this time, anything that had a cowprint on it was flying off the shelves. However, if you ask people about cow print today, many will say that, outside of the traditional Western style, it’s cringe and outdated. Where did all those cowprint items go? The answer to that question is most likely: shoved into the backs of closets, stuffed in bins in basements, in landfills, or in endless second-hand stores. This is why it’s important to think before you buy, to avoid endless waste as a result of a little trend. The next time a hot trend pops up on your feed, keep it in your cart for at least 24 hours before you buy. This time allows for that initial NEED NEED NEED mentality to wear off. Then you can ask yourself: do I really need this, or will it be out of style before it even arrives at my house?
Use Used
While we may be able to stop the impulse to buy on occasion, sometimes a certain product is necessary. Say, hypothetically, you are invited to a masquerade party, and you don’t have an outfit or mask. You’ll most likely never use these items again, however, you “need” them for this party. Instead of hopping onto Amazon and placing an order, take a more ethical approach. One way to do this is to ask around. You never know what people have stuffed away in their basements. What if your mom has a masquerade mask tucked away from a party she went to years ago, boom you already have one piece of your outfit! Another way to see what other people may be looking to get rid of is through apps like Facebook’s Marketplace which allow people in your area to buy and sell. The perfect party skirt could be up for sale from your neighbor two houses over, and now you have half your costume finished. All you need is some cute shoes and a corset top. One of the perfect places to find these items is your local thrift store. Not only are they easily accessible as there are over 28,849 in the US, but they’re also cost-effective and filled with gems. Now you have your entire outfit and it’s all second-hand or borrowed, effectively cutting your consumption for this event to zero! Thrift stores, online buy-and-sell programs, and your friends’ closets are some of the most ethical ways to shop, and often times finding the perfect piece at a second-hand store is much more rewarding than buying it online.
Don’t Dupe
There are some cases where you either must buy a product or feel that you would use it enough to thoroughly justify the purchase. In these cases, it may be tempting to buy a dupe of the product you desire. A dupe is a knockoff version of a popular product that is typically less expensive. However, buying dupes is one of the worst things you can do when you make a purchase as many of the companies who make them use cheap materials that won’t last long, factories and shipping that produce harmful chemicals and greenhouse gases, and unethical labor practices to save cost in the manufacturing process. If you want to buy an expensive product but are frustrated by the price take into consideration how the price reflects the production of the product. Take Patagonia for example, their fleeces cost an average of 139 dollars which may seem pricey at first glance but in actuality, the company uses recycled materials, grows all their virgin cotton organically, has over 85% of its clothing line made in Fair Trade certified factories, and have a Worn Wear program where they repair used clothes to prevent people from buying new ones. When you look at it that way, the price doesn’t seem bad in exchange for the positive practices that the company uses. So if you really want to buy something, buy from a company that uses sustainable and ethical products, and always do research on a company before buying from them.
With the holiday season coming up it’s especially important that you practice consumption-conscious and ethical shopping tactics. By using the tactics in this article you can ensure your gifting and receiving in a way that not only makes you happy but makes workers and the planet happy too.
