by Zenil Nasser
From cleaning products to children’s toys, it would seem the whole world is going green. Whether or not this new attitude is just a passing fad or here to stay, very few people can point out the negative in working to keep the planet healthy. It proves possible to go green in many unexpected ways, even with buying clothes. The following advice shows you how to green-ify your wardrobe with advice from a card-carrying member of the Green Party:
Start with three simple words: reduce, reuse, recycle. I’m sure that many of you already know you can recycle plastics, glass, cars, and even computer parts, but recycling can also be done with clothes. Not to mention that there is no better way to get authentic vintage (which, by the way, is very ‘in’ this season) than by digging through the thrift stores. These can be small local shops, or large nationwide organizations such as Goodwill and the Salvation Army, but they all do the same thing: they keep our landfills just a little bit smaller by using Green ideals (even before it was cool).
If, however, you find that you are not the scavenger-hunt sort of person, there exist many alternatives, like actual clothing stores that will sift through all of the barrels of recycled textiles so you don’t have to do it yourself. They are called recycled clothing stores, and a couple of examples of these include Plato’s Closet and Ragstock, though the latter might seem a bit eccentric for some people. However, the concept of recycled clothing has become more and more popular, and many independent boutiques have taken to selling and redesigning recycled clothing. Plato’s Closet and Ragstock, however, are national chains with stores all over the country, so these two might be the easiest places to start in your quest for becoming Fashion Green.
And as an added bonus, the way Plato’s Closet functions is by buying used, yet fashionable clothing from people bringing in their old wardrobes and paying them cash on the spot. And in this recession, very few people would say no to that!
Keep in mind, though, that recycling clothing is a two-way street. If you have clothing you don’t want anymore, even if it’s stained or has holes in it, it is much better to donate it than to just throw it in the trash bin. Let’s take a look at the policies of Goodwill for example. What you might not know is that Goodwill never throws away any donations they receive. What doesn’t get sold at the store where the clothing was donated gets sent to their outlet stores, and what doesn’t get sold there is put to other uses, such as being shredded to make stuffing for cars.
Goodwill definitely gets a gold star for doing their part to save the planet!
When it comes to saving the environment, as with any movement or organization, a little work done by a lot of people can go a surprisingly long way. Hopefully these tips will help you do your part!
Zenil Nasser writes for www.briefcases.com, a website that offers luxury briefcases direct from the manufacturer. Zenil lives in San Francisco with her partner Jerry and their twin boys.
has the answers. I think I’m pretty knowledgeable about green matters since I’ve been replacing light bulbs, composting, and buying organic. Still, Terra’s practical guide is jam packed with hundreds of easy green how-tos that I hadn’t considered before. 