Does your organization or school sell t-shirts and other clothing? Is it made sustainably? People often say that sustainably made merchandise costs to much to make. The shirt may cost about $10 to make (printing back and front and all). Is it worth saving a couple of dollars but polluting the planet?
How much does your school SELL T-shirts for? It is good for your school to make some money, but not by polluting the environment. The best materials to use are recycled cotton/polyester, or any fabric made from recycled materials. Organic sounds like it would be best, but it uses a ton of resources, and isn’t always completely organic.
The best clothing sustainablity is RRT: Repair, Reimagine, Trade.
- REPAIR: Fixing a broken zipper, rip, or getting a stain out keeps your clothes out of the trash. The clothing industry causes between 8-10% of harmful global emissions. Why causually make that worse?
- REIMAGINE: Some of the most fun and exciting designs come from people taking what they have and remaking it. Maybe you tie dye some light colored pants to be more fun. Or make new t-shirts out of old ones, like Dane does for his concerts. Raise money by getting t-shirts from a thrift store and redesigning them yourselves.
- TRADE: Shop your closet and trade clothes with friends. Have a clothing swap party! Clothes will be new to you; you save money; and you can be like the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Even shopping second hand is better than buying new stuff all the time.
The next time you go clothes shopping, check to see if have sustainably made products. Ask your parents and friends to do the same thing when they shop for clothes. Together we can make a BIG difference! If there is something that is sustainable that you like, you can ask your local store to carry it. You can ask the store to offer paper or tote bags instead of plastic. It’s better for the planet if you buy things that are made locally too.
Don’t buy clothes with glitter! That glitter is MICROPLASTICS! They wash right off your clothes and go into the ocean. You can find biodegradable glitter that won’t hurt the planet, and put it on your clothes.
Thanks for doing your part in healing the planet.
