Clothing and Carbon Emissions

[watervole]

 I'm just about to patch my pair of dungarees for the third or fourth time...Luckily, they were a patchwork design to start with, so the new patches blend in very well.

Clothing is a big hitter in global carbon emissions, and also in water consumption (if you think clothing uses a lot of water, then up your estimate - it uses even more than you think!) Then add in the problems of microfibre plastic pollution every time you wash synthetic fabrics, and the pesticides used to grow cotton, and you quickly realise that there are no easy answers.

There's a good summary of the issues in a report produced for the UK parliament .

One good thing, is that the sheer scale of the problem means it's easy to reduce your individual contribution to it.

I recently completed a year without buying any new clothes (charity shops are allowed, as second hand purchases are keeping stuff out of the waste stream). Since then, I've had one lapse by buying a new waistcoat for my sword dance costume, and I suspect I'll need new underwear at some point, but apart from that, it's surprising what you can manage with a bit of darning, patching and new elastic.

Comments

[vera_j]

Fortunately, I don´t have to feel guilty here because I actually stopped buying clothes with the beginning of my retirement. I am well supplied and I really don´t need more things - with the exception of underwear. And I bought new wellingtons. Howgh.

[watervole]

We're birds of a feather. (Just in case you don't know that expression, it means we're very alike)

[vera_j]

Haha, accidentally I do know this - even that in that case we flock together!LOL

[igenlode]

I'm going to need new underwear in the imminent future (two pairs of socks emerged from the wash this week with large holes in the heels -- sadly they are different colours, so I can't combine the solitary survivors. Anyway, at least one of those is pretty much worn through as well. I'm happy to darn toes, but darning the heels in cotton/bamboo socks is just a non-starter; the affected area is far too large, and the result would rub hideously).

On the other hand, I couldn't help laughing at the idea of "Secondhand September", when the worldshaking idea is that you only buy second-hand clothes for a whole month -- I normally only ever buy second-hand clothes, and I certainly don't buy them as often as once a month, never mind buying new clothes multiple times in 30 days!

[watervole]

Shows the level of insanity our culture is at... A month without buying clothes should be a pushover.

[igenlode]

If you buy them that often, where do you put them?

(On second thoughts, I suppose that's a naive question; you throw away the old ones, of course...)

[notasupervillain]

I am obsessed with shopping but I figure it's okay if I go to charity shops. No waste, I donate back as much as I buy, and money goes to charity.

Probably less good than buying what I need, but a girl's gotta have some vices.

[aunty_marion]

I'm not sure I remember the last time I bought a new, or new-to-me, item of clothing, except underwear! A few years ago, I think? Shoes, yes; those wear out, and usually aren't mendable. And I bought new knickers last week, as I was so fed up with all of mine apparently having holes in them. Cotton with only a little lycra and elastic (and now a brilliant yellow instead of boring white). I'm throwing out some pairs, mending four, and cutting others up (a few at a time) for cleaning/dusting cloths.

I find it hard to buy from charity shops, as I'm rather larger than the largest clothes they usually have in. And I'm not buying men's clothes (except for the occasional silk shirt, say!).

[watervole]

My underwear all went yellow today - I suspected it might as I was washing an organge tie-die skirt at the same time. I wasn't exactly bothered. No one will see except me, and it will wash out in time anyway.

I do buy men's trousers now and then. And I'm very small breasted, so I can wear men's shirts, but don't generally like the collars.