As we bring in another new year, you may be considering taking a more conscious approach when it comes to the foods you eat as well as the clothes you wear.
If you’re guilty of buying new clothes for the kids because ‘they’re in the sale’ but in fact they are two sizes too big and actually find it gathering dust in years to come? Or you convince yourself you’re in desperate need of a new outfit for every event in your calendar but then never actually wear it again? Then you may want to try a more sustainable way of buying and wearing clothes.
Childrenswear brand - Polarn O.Pyret - share their top tips on leading a more climate conscious wardrobe:
Always consider repairing something – or upcycling
Has one of the children's garments broken? No danger, repairing yourself is often easier than you think, but if the garment can no longer be fixed, you can change it into something else to give your clothes a longer life. A sweater becomes a gym bag, and a mitt is a sweatband for example – get creative!
Quality
Always be mindful of quality when picking your clothes and avoid fast fashion. Items that will stand the test of time and be handed down is much better for our environment.
Rent your clothes
Yes, you can actually rent clothes! Renting clothes is a great way to reduce the amount of garments being produced as the clothes stay in circulation 6 times longer than normal. Renting your children's clothes also reduces the water and carbon footprint by around 83%. Research has shown if we can extend the life of clothes by just 3 months it could reduce the UK’s carbon footprint by around 10%. Children's clothes have the potential to be rented out 6 or 7 times. That's another 18 – 21 months of wear than they'd normally get. We are aware of a few companies now doing this but ‘The Little Loop’ is one we know of – stocking some greats children’s brands including Polarn O. Pyret.
Wash your clothes sustainably
Did you know that laundry accounts for about 3% of a garment's total climate impact? Therefore, it is important to wash properly, both to preserve the life of the garment and to reduce its climate impact. You should consider washing at lower temps and limit how much you use a dryer. It is also important to consider how much detergent you use as overdosing can cause excess detergent to be flushed into the drain, which is harmful to the environment – although always use ecolabelled detergents.
Research
Be mindful of the brands you are buying from - Look out for brands doing good things for the environment, such as offering a free repair service or outerwear like Polarn O. Pyret
Second hand
It is alarming to think that every year in the United Kingdom we throw 350,000 tonnes of clothing into landfill – always look into second hand option and brands committed to supporting their customers to recycle their clothes.
For more information, visit: www.polarnopyret.co.uk.
Tagged in Children's Fashion Clothing top tips