Here are five ways to become a more sustainable shopper! This way, you can do what you love and help Mother Nature all at the same time.
1. Invest in brands that are sustainable
Think Reformation: Popular. Pretty. AND sustainable. What could be better than Instagram's favorite floral midi dress from the brand? The fact that Reformation "put[s] sustainability at the core of everything [they] do". This means they do everything in their power to reduce their waste, water, and energy footprints. By shopping with brands like these, not only do you get super cute clothes out of it, but you're doing so without leaving a major carbon footprint on our earth.
2. Quit online shopping
When you receive an Urban Outfitters package, it typically comes with a whole lot of unnecessary plastic. Plastic packaging, plastic on the inside to hold each individual item, plastic, plastic, plastic. The less you online shop, the less plastic packaging being distributed to your house just for you to throw away. OR! If you know certain brands you online shop from use recyclable packaging, try shopping there more often instead of from those that don't.
3. Opt out of tissue wrapping
The clothing store I work at has an option for tissue wrapping (if you want to be fancy) inside our reusable shopping bags. I always ask customers if they actually want tissue in the bag before doing it, because chances are most people would rather not waste the paper when they already have such a cute, reusable tote to keep their new purchases in. If you shop at stores where they offer to tissue-wrap your clothes, opt out.
4. Poshmark, consignment shops, thrift stores
Utilize all of these to shop more sustainably. Recycling clothing is the best way to limit the amount of clothing being produced in the world and there are endless ways to do so. Poshmark is my personal favorite- I sell my own clothes on there all of the time. Things like Depop, Facebook Marketplace, Goodwill (some have insane stuff, especially if you look at the Goodwills near wealthier areas), and other thrift and consignment shops have amazing pieces that have a cool, vintage feel.
5. Stop buying into fast fashion trends
Major retailers like Forever 21 and Nasty Gal carry very trend-heavy pieces, which means that they are always creating more and more clothes in order to coincide with the ever-changing world of fashion. They make the pieces cheap and satisfactory enough to fulfill the consumer's temporary need for checker-printed skirts or criss-cross going out tops, only for said consumer to get rid of them just as quickly as ordered them online. Instead, try and invest in high-end basics, ones that you know won't go out of style or get a broken zipper after wearing it after one day at GovBall.
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