Second-hand September
There’s something to be said for being boring.
At least where clothes are concerned. I’m talking from experience here. Trying to be stylish, on the other hand, can be bad for our health, and bad for the health of our planet... but that’s nothing new.
A hundred years ago, the fashion industry wiped out several animal and bird species by promoting furs and feathers on coats and hats. Today, it has moved to man-made fibres, but it is still damaging the environment by producing a load of rubbish.
I’m not just referring to cheap lowquality synthetic garments that soon ware out and get thrown away. I’m also talking about the ‘fast fashion’ concept the industry is pushing to encourage people to buy short-term garments so they can keep up with changing fashions.
A hundred years ago, women organised pressure groups such as The Autobahn Society in the United States and The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds in the UK to shame plumage wearers and halt the feather trade.
Today, charity and environmental groups such as Birdlife International, which includes the RSPB and Birdlife Botswana, are trying to change our perception of fast fashion… which is what I’m hoping to do as well, because it’s doing a great deal of harm.
For example, according to The United Nations Environment Programme, the fashion industry creates 10 percent of global carbon emissions, which is more than commercial airlines and shipping combined, and nearly 20 percent of global wastewater, mostly from textile dying.
Let’s think about that for a second. More air pollution than planes and ships, and one fifth of all water pollution in the name of fashion. Perhaps we should keep those figures in mind when we consider buying new clothes.
Fast fashion encourages excessive consumption and discarded non-biodegradable clothes are creating mountains of textile waste every day. About 92 million tonnes is produced each year.
And according to Greenpeace, much of it is exported to the developing world disguised as second-hand clothes aide. But half the items are not usable and quickly end up on dumpsites, in rivers or on open fires, so the developing world is dealing with the consequences of fast fashion.
What can be done to protect the planet from this highly profitable business model?
In the developed world, Oxfam,
Greenpeace, BLI and other groups are encouraging people to only buy secondhand clothes during September. They call it Second-hand September, and the idea is to get people to change their buying habits one month at a time to combat climate change.
Of course, in many places, including Botswana, that’s not easy to do. It can also be difficult to find clothes made from natural materials such as cotton, linen and wool… but they do exist. They may be more expensive to buy, but they last longer, feel better, and smell better than man-made fibres because they breath… and they help us keep cool as the sun heats up.
I also think undyed, natural clothes such as white cotton shirts, look good. Okay, it’s just an opinion and some people see them as boring, but that’s my take on fashion. My take on fast fashion, meanwhile, is hot, uncomfortable, stinky… and an environmental disaster.