How To Make Your Closet Sustainable

We all know that fast fashion encourages us to buy clothes and get rid of the old ones even when they are still in optimal conditions for being used. The actual situation of clothes waste represents a threat to the environment.

According to a report by Riba and colleagues, the textile and fashion industry is one of the most resource-intensive and polluting industries. As mentioned by the Nordic Council of Ministers, clothing represents the fourth most environmentally harmful consumption area after housing, transport, and food. Let's explore some strategies for reducing, reusing, and recycling in our wardrobes.

1. Organize your wardrobe

Cleaning our closet every six months and organizing them in such a way that we can see everything that we have, can help us to be more inventive when getting dressed. This will also help us to buy less clothing.

2. Reuse

There are various techniques for reusing clothes, such as borrowing, inheriting, renting, trading, or swapping. Nowadays there are great tools to achieve this, such as online sites, second-hand shops, charities, or flea markets.

3. Don’t wash your jeans every time you use them

Jeans were not designed to be washed so often. Every time you wash them, you release microfibers and use unnecessary amounts of energy and water. Levis CEO, Chip Bergh explains that denim only needs to be washed rarely.

4. Never dispose of clothing in the bins

Bear in mind that clothing that you throw in the bins will end up either incinerated or in landfills. So next time you decide you don’t need those clothes anymore, be sure to recycle them, donate them or give them to someone willing to use it.

Also read: WE ARE ALL AFFECTING THE DOLPHIN POPULATION USING MICROPLASTIC ELEMENTS

5. Never buy clothes that you will not use more than 20 times

Sometimes we can fall in love with clothing that we know we will rarely use. In this case, the best decisión is not to buy it. Go for clothes that you know you will use frequently.

6. Go for organic cotton

When selecting your clothes, be sure to look at the labels and buy organic or certified cotton. Remember that some fabrics use microfibres that pollute the oceans. Most important of all, make sure that clothes are made from recyclable materials.

7. Wash your clothes with cold water

This suggestion is friendly not only for the environment but for your clothes. Water heaters are usually electric, meaning that every time you use them you are using energy. If you always program your washing machine to use cold water, you will ensure that your clothes won't shrink, you will protect their colors and they will last more. 

8. Choose sustainable options when shopping

The number of sustainable brands that have more eco-friendly processes and that used recycled materials, increases every day. Always prefer sustainable brands.

9. Buy less

Even though we all enjoy shopping, next time you go to a store, ask yourself if you need that. Don't be a victim of tendencies, have your style. If these tips are not helpful enough, consider limiting your shopping budget as a way to buy less.