I’m pretty sure you’ve felt the pressure to buy sustainably, one time or another. We have to do it for our well-being, for the planet, for the future… Also to waste less and have better habits. Although, at the end of the day, no matter what we do, it feels like it isn’t enough.
Anyhow, we must keep at it. So, I’m writing down some quick facts and tricks to keep in mind in our busy journey.
First of all, the best advice of all :
Buy less. Embrace minimalism.
If you don’t need to own it, why buy it? And specially, if you are not going to really use it, why buy it?
The things we end up loving the most are also the ones we’ve used the most. Some things can be borrowed from family and friends, some others you can lease or rent (specially if you are still unsure of the use you’ll have for them). You should also start thinking how you are going to get rid of it afterwards. Will you sell it second-hand? Pass it to someone else or gift it away? Space is too expensive these days to accumulate stuff you don’t love or use. If you can afford it, it feels better with no junk.
Also, remember that to get things we love, we must have the place for them. And it’s really difficult to love and use things that are hidden away.
Do you need it cheap or can you get a better version of it?
For things meant to last, the cheapest option is usually not the best. Think small electronic devices, basic clothing, shoes and bags, home appliances… Take into account how long do you need it to last, how much you’ll use it, the materials they are made of… Anyhow, keep in mind that not because it is expensive it is good… but usually the price range, if shared with multiple brands, can tell you a bit about the quality. Also, how long has this brand and this product being on the market?
Can you make it?
This is not a popular question but, as a designer, it is one of my favourites. Usually we can’t, we are not skilled, we don’t have the tools, we don’t have the time. Anyways, would it be something you’d like to be able to make? Then why not try it out? Maybe you don’t want to go to a fancy restaurant, but prepare a great picnic by the beach, somewhere with tables and shadow and a nice breeze. Are you sure it is that difficult? It could be much more enjoyable, memorable and fun – and as much as delicious.
CLEANING SUSTAINABLY
Cleaning products are often not great for the environment. I can get my mind around why, but so it is. And so much of them just end up going down the drain. Think from the toothpaste to the floor cleaning product… If you can, choose soft soaps, buy the dry option (use the water from the tap instead of carrying it from the supermarket) and the less harmful products (why would you use something that is deadly for animals and fish at home?) For most thing thought, mixing baking soda with vinegar (mix with lemon juice and add coconut oil if you need to use with flavour, as in toothpaste).
CLOTHING SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES
Don’t be a fool. The best clothes are the ones that will last you a lifetime, and that feel good to wear and comfortable to move in.
– Fabrics
- R-pet : one of the most thrown away word these days. It usually means the piece of clothe or bag you are looking at was made from a fiber made from recycling post-consumer plastics (basically plastic bottles). And as good as it sounds, we should also contemplate that : 1 – it seems to lower the guilt of consuming plastic bottles; 2 – it seems to encourage you to buy something made of plastic (hey, at least it’s recycled); 3 – because it is still made of plastic, its end of life will be difficult ( in fact, plastic bottles can be recycled many times if remade into plastic bottle – but clothes will go directly to landfills when you get tired of them).
- Cotton and organic cotton : it’s the “natural” choice of the day. If we don’t choose recycled plastic, well, what’s left is cotton. And much better if it is organic. It naturally biodegrades, so at least it will not live forever in a landfill. Still, there are many resources that go into growing cotton and the most certifications the better. There are natural fibers that would be much better but are not so commercially available, like flax but the best one should be hemp.
- Acrylic and polyester: choose them for clothes you plan on keeping for a very long time and that you are going to use a lot.
- Try to avoid buying clothes that tear down a lot or leave a lot of fibers (yes, those fluffy things and cheap winter jumpers, scarfs, etc.). Or at least, do not wash them more than needed.
– How to care for clothes sustainably
Make them last. Mend them whenever possible. It is a craft in itself, but some family member may know how or it’s a great skill to learn.
Washing clothes is usually awful both for the clothes and the seas. There are lots of microplastics that will go down the drain, and we all know that the cheapest clothes usually end up looking really old and ugly after not many washes. So:
1. Clean
them when they really need it. We all know when that is, when they smell, when you’ve spent a really long they in them, etc. But that shirt you wore over your shoulder for a few hours when you were cold in the office… You may only have to refresh it, if only. Or that skirt you were over the panties, just to sit on a chair for some hours and a light walk… Jeans are an amazing cloth that doesn’t get much dirt, gets super well after a breeze and a bit of sun dry… I believe most of us are so lucky to get a shower a day and we don’t get a sweat cool off on us so there’s not much chance that our everyday clothing gets really dirty in a normal day.
2. Use more
of what you’ve got. Sometimes we need to really scoop in our closets to know what we have and to know how to use it. Rushing to choose the clothes for a day may work out some days, but if we are aware of all that lays and hangs in our closets we can have a more varied set of outfits and we’ll wear off less all the clothing.
3. Choose a better fit
With time, you can get a sense of the shapes/patterns that fit you better, the kind of fabric that makes you feel comfortable (and also the itchy and too tight and not stretchy enough that can slowly get moody- at least, it does happen to me). Use that knowledge to inform future buys.
4. Do not use softeners
Even the producers of washing machines will now give you similar advice about the habits for cleaning your clothes, to clean them less often, with no softener, with the right amount of soap and with the correct loading of the machine. If you think you’d need softener, you can add white cleaning vinegar.
Enjoy more of what we got. Enjoy your things, what’s available to you, the planet around. Tap into your unique resources. It’s a journey of a lifetime.
