Sustainability - August
This is another one of those topics that I planned out at the beginning of the year, long before 2020 showed its true colors - shopping.
The shopping landscape is vastly different than it was even just a few months ago, and my habits have already drastically changed as well.
Whereas I used to make late-night runs to Target just to pick up a pint of ice cream, now I venture out maybe once or twice a month, when I have to, and really only for essentials. I don’t know if things will ever go back, and I’m not sure that I want or need them to - but that all remains to be seen. One way or the other though, the reduction in my shopping is definitely more sustainable.
I also used to go shopping with friends somewhat regularly. It was a way to combine a social occasion with an activity. Luckily, since I moved earlier this year and I now live just steps from the beach, spending time with my friends now often involves a “going to the beach” component in place of another activity, normally shopping. And of course, I have been seeing a lot less of my friends in 2020 than I had planned anyways.
Replacing shopping with going to the beach (or some other activity) seems to be a sustainable swap. When I have met up with friends in other places (not near the beach), we have gone for walks, sat on benches, or drank coffee at a distance, as part of hanging out. Although the outside activities aren’t really something that we could do year-round here in the PNW, it is a nice alternative, and a good reminder that shopping (at least unnecessarily) can be cut out of much of my life.
A few days into the beginning of the month, I thought about doing a shopping ban for the whole month. While living a completely shopping free life would be pretty impossible and “unsustainable”, there are always some valuable lessons to be learned there, some of which could easily relate to sustainability. However, I realized that on the 1st I had ordered some items, and from Amazon no less - a retailer I am trying to avoid when at all possible since their practices tend to be far from sustainable. So instead of a shopping ban, I decided to shop intentionally, taking into account all that I have learned about sustainability so far this year.
One of the items that we purchase most regularly is clothing. The impact of the fashion industry on our planet is staggering. It is responsible for 8% of carbon emissions. At least 20% of industrial water pollution is due to the treating and dying of textiles. The production of fiber to make textiles is responsible for 18% of pesticide use and 25% of insecticide use worldwide. And third of microplastic pollution in the ocean comes from our clothing. In addition, producing the clothes that we wear requires 24 trillion gallons of water each year - enough water to fill 37 million Olympic-sized swimming pools. And more carbon dioxide is produced by the fashion industry each year than all international flights and naval shipping combined. Yikes. And that is just the clothing industry. The impact of everything else we purchase from food to cosmetics is important too. But this month, I was looking to shop for a few items of clothing, so these were the statistics that I wanted to keep in mind.
First, I decided to order some items off of ThreadUp. Shopping secondhand is a huge part of sustainable living since the items have already been produced. However, I haven’t ever really loved going into Goodwill or other secondhand stores. The selection is often so overwhelming and I can’t stand the smell. And since I’m trying to go out to the store as little as possible now anyway, I turned to the online behemoth, ThreadUp. I’ve been familiar with ThreadUp for years, although I’ve never purchased anything from them. But I was excited to give it a shop (pun intended).
There are a couple items of clothing that I have been casually looking for for quite a while, but with no success. Although I was initially overwhelmed by the ThreadUp site, after some clicking and scrolling I was able to narrow my searches down enough to make what I was looking for more manageable. No one has time to comb through 250 pages of search results looking for the right sweater. At least, I hope not. I found a couple of the items I was looking for and placed my order. They haven’t arrived yet, but I am excited to receive them. There were also a few things I was looking for that I couldn’t find, none of the options were quite what I was looking for. And I let that be okay! Settling and purchasing something “okay” or “close enough,” even if it was cheaper or secondhand, would still not be a sustainable choice because I wouldn’t be getting the use out of it or giving it the love that it deserves!
I definitely don’t think browsing ThreadUp will ever be something that I do just for fun - and that’s probably a good thing. It is just a bit too overwhelming. But now I know how to search effectively and find what I’m looking for - at least, if it is there to begin with. I’ll check every once in a while for the pieces that I want, but I won’t spend too much time on it or settle for anything less than I want. Sustainability isn’t just about what we purchase - it’s about how we live.
Shopping secondhand makes a huge difference in the environmental impact of our shopping habits.
In addition to the pieces I purchased from ThreadUp, I also made another sustainable purchase that I have been contemplating for a while. I purchased some workout leggings and a bra from Girlfriend Collective. Their leggings are made from 25 recycled post-consumer water bottles, diverting them from a landfill. They also help to prevent 18.61 pounds of CO2 emissions and save 3.11 gallons of water. The bras are made from 11 recycled water bottles, prevent 8.19 pounds of CO2 emissions, and save 1.37 gallons of water. Not only that, but their factories guarantee fair wages, safe and healthy conditions, and utilize zero forced or child labor. The fabric made from the bottles has been tested and is safe to wear next to your skin, and even the dyes that they use are eco-friendly. They are incredibly transparent, very inclusive, and I love that they are based in nearby Seattle.
Although the items that I purchased from Girlfriend Collective weren’t secondhand, I did my research to make sure that they were produced sustainably and by a company that I want to support - they were, and I do. Unfortunately, ThreadUp didn’t have any of their items available on their site, or I would have considered getting them secondhand. And although shopping secondhand when we can is important, not everything we need will be available to us that way.
When I received those items from Amazon that I mentioned earlier, I was glad to see that they came in a recyclable package. When ordering things online, whether from Amazon or anywhere else, making sure that your order comes in as few boxes as possible, even if that means having to wait a bit longer to receive them can help to cut back on emissions from your orders. You can also request plastic-free or low waste shipping in the comments box in your order. While that may not always be possible, you are more likely to get it when you ask! And finally, minimizing ordering online will have the biggest impact of all. Shopping in stores has a big footprint too since items still have to be shipped there, and you have to go get them, but since they come in bulk, that often helps to reduce the footprint per item. Whether you order something online or go to pick it up at a local store is up to you, but sustainability and the steps you can take to maximize it are worth considering.
This month, I read A Zero Waste Life: In Thirty Days, and although not specifically related to the topic of shopping, there definitely were some tips that applied. For one, not to shop unless you need to! And only for items that you really need or want. But as an organizer and a pretty frugal person, none of that was news to me. There were also some particular items mentioned that I could have purchased to help me become more zero waste - but since that’s not necessarily my goal, and since I am kind of in that process anyway at my own pace, I decided to pass.
Although this topic was a bit less relevant than it may have seemed when I planned it in January, I still learned a lot and enjoyed getting to experiment with some of that knowledge. And I can’t wait until the day I can go shopping (or maybe just for a walk) in my new sustainable clothes with my sweet friends.
Until next time,