Another season of Back-to-School is here, and without a doubt you recently made some new clothing purchases, or you are about to.
Either you’re looking for new fall styles that have just hit the stores, or something you own is too worn or doesn’t fit anymore. Whatever your needs may be, it is important to put on your sustainability hat and start to think about what to do with the old clothes you no longer want.
Being a conscious consumer isn’t just about shopping for organic cotton or ethically sourced materials. It is also about the way we consume and dispose of fashion. We buy 400% more clothing today than we did 20 years ago, and we keep our clothes for half as long.
So being more mindful of our fashion footprint when we do back-to-school shopping is key, as is having a plan for your unwanted items.
Dumping a bag of unwanted clothes in the garbage might feel a bit out-of-sight/out-of-mind, but those items will end up sitting in a landfill – either forever as is the case with synthetic materials like polyester and acrylic, or releasing carbon into the environment with natural materials like cotton and wool.
How Can you be Part of the Solution?
- Buy less and choose well-made clothing that will last.
- Give or swap your unwanted clothes to friends and family.
- Take back your clothes to retailers like H&M, Zara, and American Eagle.
- Resell your clothes online on Facebook, Instagram, Craigslist or Kijiji.
- Donate to a local charity or school drive
You most likely have questions about what you can donate and where it goes afterwards. Check out the OTDC website for answers and even more solutions. And let’s keep our Back-to-School fashion footprint as low as possible. Our planet will thank you, and so will your wallet!
