It's very tempting to throw things away or even drop them in a recycling bin when we are done with them. Is there a better way?
Share your ideas for extending the “lives” of the items that we buy and use, and their packaging as well!
Reuse & Repurpose >
Thrifting
Oftentimes, when people think about reuse and repurpose, their minds go straight to recycling paper, and buying reusable water bottles. While both of those things are very important, it is time to dig a bit deeper. Rather than buying clothes from first hand corporations every time there is a new trend, thrift your clothes. Thrift stores are places to shop for used clothes, and the purpose of these stores is to stop clothes from going to waste. Thrifting is one of the easiest and most fun ways to repurpose something. Unfortunately not enough people are thrifting, so thrift stores often find themselves having to throw away clothes anyway because they run out of space. According to Huffpost, "One New York City Salvation Army store received about five tons per day in 2012" (Huffpost). Supporting manufacturing businesses is horrible for the environment because the production of clothing uses an obscene amount of resources. For example, the production of one single pair of jeans uses about 1800 gallons of water (SERC). By thrifting, one could find a pair of jeans for a lower price, same quality, and less of a carbon footprint. To wrap up, clothing production is harmful to the Carbon footprint and environment, so a simple step for the future is to start thrifting and reusing clothes because there only positive effects.
Sources: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/fast-fas … _n_5798612
https://serc.berkeley.edu/why-thrifting … ur-wallet/
I agree, although reusing and repurposing paper and plastic products has a positive impact, people often overlook the amount of carbon emissions are produced by the fast fashion industry. An article by the telescope states that if everyone in the U.S. recycled their clothes for a year it would have the same impact as taking all of L.A.'s cars off the road for the same amount of time. Clothing that is not sustainable wastes valuable resources, such as water, and contributes to lower wages for people working in clothing factories. There are plenty of clothes that are already produced and ready to be worn, and they are cheaper and more sustainable than all of the fast fashion being produced at this moment. Thrift stores ensure that clothing will be put to good use, and both buying and selling clothing from and to these stores could have a drastic positive impact on the environment.
I agree thrifting is an amazing way to reuse clothes that are still in great shape. The clothes that people no longer need are often thrown out and waisted. Donating clothes is a great way to save perfectly good items. An article from the Student Environmental Resource Center of UC Berkeley says that Americans throw away about 10.5 million tons of clothes every year. This can be solved by donations and thrifting clothes that are still in good quality. Thrifting more clothes can also lower your carbon footprint. The Student Environmental Resource Center of UC Berkeley also says that most jeans may have taken 1800 gallons of water to make. They also state that the production of jeans is generated in greenhouse gases which is not good for the environment. Thrifting means buying used clothes instead of buying new ones and causing companies to make more. Thrifting is reusing clothes and getting them at a good price. This could make a difference in the environment
I think that this is a very good point. Clothing production is a huge part in Co2 levels. Buying second hand might seem pointless if you only think about the fact that it was already made, but in reality, that's one less article of clothing that has to be manufactured and thrown away. Thrifting your clothes actually “saves 16.3 million tons” of emissions (Sustainable Brands, 2018). I thrift a lot and have found incredibly good deals on clothes that I end up wearing for a while, so I don’t need to keep buying new ones. Thrifting is a good idea for everyone and saves tons of energy and waste, and carbon emissions.