Second-hand September
Way back when, hand-me-down jumpers and second-hand shoes from your brothers, sisters or cousins were completely normal! I recall on one occasion growing up, saving up and buying a new pair of Nike runners. I was so excited about my new kicks, however, being the same shoe size as my brother and father, it was a race to the shoes every morning.
Some harsh facts about the throwaway fashion industry we have gotten accustomed to:
- 35% of materials in garment supply chains are wasted.
- In Ireland, 225 tonnes of textile are dumped every year.
- In Ireland, half a tonne of clothing is dumped into a landfill every minute. That amount produces over 12 tonnes of carbon emissions – the same as driving 65,000 kilometres in a car.
- Buying just one white cotton shirt produces the same amount of emissions as driving 35 miles in a car.
Throwaway fashion is putting increasing pressure on our planet and its people – and it’s not sustainable. By changing our shopping habits, together we can help tackle the growing issue of fast fashion. Some great solutions are the rental and swapping fashion models, which eliminate the risk of panic buying for one occasion (for which Instagram has a lot to answer for) that feeds into the fast-fashion cycle.
Oxfam has come up with an initiative offering a solution to throwaway fashion and the devastating impact it is having on people and the planet. Oxfam’s #SecondhandSeptember urges people to rethink the month that is usually associated with Fashion week and the start of autumnal shopping and put away their credit cards to help save the planet.
Why not shop second-hand for 30 days? Firstly, you will save money. Secondly, if you shop in charity shops, you will be GIVING money to people and organisations in need. Thirdly, you will be helping save the planet. There are so many benefits in getting involved in this pledge to say NO to buying new clothes for the month. Who knows, you may even enjoy finding hidden gems and saving money so much that you decide to keep it up!
Where to shop second hand:
- Local charity shops (Oxfam have 47 shops around Ireland – find your nearest store here
- Vintage stores in your area
- Depop
- Host a clothing swap with your friends (with appropriate social distancing measures!)
- If you have an occasion coming up why not rent a piece from Borrower’s Boutique or Rent the Runway.
- Subscribe to Nu Wardrobe and join a community of swapping and borrowing clothes
Sign-up and start #SecondhandSeptember at any time here, for top tips, inspiration and more to make the pledge as easy as possible.
Best of luck!
