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Do you know what summer clothes you have in your cupboards? 80% of 16-24-year olds can’t remember what clothes they own - and if we can’t remember what we already have, we are more likely to think we need to buy something new.
Can you rummage in the deepest, darkest corners of your wardrobe or drawers to see what you can find to help tackle climate change? If it still fits, you’re ready for the summer! If there’s a tear or a stain, can you remember how it got there? – that’s part of your story and makes your clothes into your own portable memory-box! If you need to, can you mend it, patch it or even tie-dye it? See below for some handy tips and ask your parent/ carer before you get started. If it is too small for you, can you parcel it up ready to pass on when the current corona-virus restrictions are lifted?
After you have tidied out your clothes cupboard, thinking about how you can help combat climate change - then don’t forget to HIT THE RED BUTTON!
Clothes production contributes more to climate change than international air travel and shipping combined. This week’s challenge is to try to think in a new way about your clothes - our first thought should be ‘how do I fix it’, not ‘how do I get a new one’! You could try to remember this simple rule - Repair it. Outgrow it. Pass it on.
If you need to buy something, can you get it secondhand? If you have to buy new, can you find the label and investigate what’s in it and where it was made? Organically grown cotton creates less carbon emissions because it avoids pesticides and fertilizers. It also uses up to 90% less water than regular cotton. Sales of organic certified cotton grew 10% in 2019. If you’re looking for synthetic fabrics, look out for recycled material – it uses less energy and resources than other synthetic fabric. It probably started out as plastic bottles that have been melted down to make a new material. This sounds pretty cool, but unfortunately it doesn’t get rid of the plastic, it just delays its escape into the environment – another reason why we need to get as much use as we can out of our existing clothes.
If you’re interested in finding out more about how clothes are made, and their impact on the environment, you could watch this TED-ed talk on ‘the life cycle of a t-shirt’ https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-life-cycle-of-a-t-shirt-angel-chang
If you want to get crafty, try using some old fabric scraps to make funky patches to repair your jeans, or check out this blog which shows you how to make tie-dye out of turmeric to update an old white t-shirt or even an old pair of socks. https://youtu.be/ui4YNZv9vrA
Don’t forget to HIT THE RED BUTTON when you have undertaken this wardrobe challenge and send us a photo of your crafty repairs or your tidy cupboard!
