In this episode of the Sustainable Life podcast I’m chatting to Kim Tew, the founder of Plastic Free Pantry which is the UK’s first plastic free online food shop.
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EASY, SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVES TO FAST FASHION
Fast fashion feels like it's everywhere, and it's easy to think that the fashion industry has always been this way but it is actually a relatively new phenomenon:
We are consuming 400% more clothes now than we did just 20 years ago (that's the late 1990's!)
And that increase in consumption comes at a cost:
- The fashion industry is the second most polluting industry on the planet, second only to fossil fuels
- It is responsible for 3% of total global CO2 emissions
- 150 billion items of clothing are made each year, and in the USA 36kg of clothes per person are thrown away.
The cost of clothes has come down hugely in recent years, and sadly clothes are now sometimes seen as disposable – some people quite literally buy cheap High St clothes with no intention of ever washing them and wearing again – they buy them to wear once and then throw away.
But as cheap as our clothes now are, someone somewhere is paying the price. And in the case of fast fashion, it is the garment workers, and the planet, that suffer.
The good news is that because we all need to wear clothes, we have the power to create change by making different choices about the garments we wear and buy and there are actually lots of easy options for side-stepping fast fashion and not contributing to the demand.
SHOP YOUR WARDROBE
How many items do you have in your wardrobe that you've hardly ever worn?
How many items do you wear regularly?
You might be surprised to find things that you had forgotten about lurking at the bottom of your drawers, or pushed to the back of your wardrobe.
SHOP SECONDHAND
Check out your local charity shops, vintage shops, and even jumble sales to see if you can find the things you need or want to fill the gaps in your wardrobe.
If you're looking for specific brands then eBay is a great option – just remember to tick the ‘used’ box under 'Condition' in the sidebar on the left hand side.
SWISH OR SWAP
Swishing is basically a fancy pants name for a clothes swapping party.
You can have a look on sites like Swishing.com to see if you can find anything local to you, or get a few friends together and run one at home!
RENT
Livia Firth recommends that when we’re thinking of buying a new outfit we ask ourselves "Will I wear this 30 times?"
And if you won’t, then don’t buy it.
I don’t know about you but I really don’t venture out to posh events and weddings very much anymore, so I’m unlikely to get 30 wears out of a posh frock. In which case, renting from a dress agency might well be the answer.
There’s some renting resources here from Love Your Clothes.
SHOP ETHICAL
Fast fashion has a massive impact both on the planet, and on the people who make our clothes.
There's a Sustainable Fashion Directory in my membership community (do come and join us!) or have a look at this one on The Good Shopping Guide.
Which of these do you already do?
And which ones would you be up for giving a go?
Do leave a comment below and let me know 🙂
TOP TIPS FOR CHARITY SHOP (THRIFT STORE) SHOPPING
I am a huge fan of charity shop (or thrift store for our American friends) shopping as a brilliant way to find what you need/want without contributing to the demand for cheap consumer goods. It has the added benefits of saving stuff from landfill, and raising money for good causes, so basically it's a win-win.
I wasn't always such a fan though.
I have no doubt that there are some people reading this who were bought up in a family of thrifters, and for whom scouring charity shops or thrift stores is second nature.
There might however be a few, who are like I was a few of years ago: I would occasionally wander into the odd charity shop, maybe browse the bric-a-brac, and have a vague flick through a clothes rail or two, before leaving empty-handed. I was always slightly jealous of people when they told me they had found their 'new' jumper/jeans/skirt in a charity shop. I could never really find anything I liked, but it turns out I just wasn't really looking properly.
Fast forward a few years, and our year of buying nothing new has turned me into a huge charity shop fan! All my clothes are now sourced there, as well as lots of the kid's toys and clothes, and bits for the house too. I have never sat down and added it all up, but we must have saved a small fortune over three years, and so much of the stuff is in great condition.
my top tips for the best of charity shop shopping:
1. get to know your local charity shops
If you're not used to frequenting charity shops then you might be vaguely aware that there are 'some' in your local town, but you probably don't know all of them.
Go for a wander, and really start to look for them. Or if you are new to a town, use Charity Retail Associations website to search for all the charity shops near you.
I live in a small market town, and we have at least 8 charity shops. Some people complain about them taking over the High St, but I'm very happy with this! I have developed a little route around town that will take in all of them and it's my favourite type of shopping!
2. not all charity shops are created equal!
You will find that the quality and type of goods will vary from shop to shop.
Some charity shops almost look like 'new' shops now-clothes are sorted by colour; everything is laid out very neatly, the lighting is bright, and it all looks very lovely.
There are however still 'old fashioned' charity shops out there where everything is a bit of a jumble, but I love these-things tend to be a bit cheaper, and you get to have a good old rummage!
And you will also find that some shops specialise in just one thing, eg clothes, or electrical items. Get to know your local ones, and which one's suit your style.
3. location, location, location
I have never actually tested this out, but there is a theory out there, that charity shops in more upmarket places, will have better quality stuff, and are more likely to have high fashion brands in them.
It makes sense, and I keep meaning to take a day trip to Bath or Marlborough to check it out!
Be aware though that charity shops are now pretty clued up as to what brands are worth what, and the prices will reflect that.
4. make a list, check it twice
During My Make Do and Mend Year, we made a list of the things that we needed, and I carried this around with me to consult when I did my little charity shop rounds. It helped me to remember that I was on the look out for size 5 wellies, or a whisk for the kitchen, and helped me be more targeted when I was browsing.
5. go frequently
Don't just go once! Keep visiting regularly as the stock turns over pretty quickly, and if they don't have what you need one week, they might in a week or two's time.
6. time your visits
Again, this is an untested theory, but some people recommend going on a Monday or Tuesday, as lots of people will have been clearing out their wardrobes/cupboards over the weekend, so there will be lots of new stock at the beginning of the week.
7. have an open mind
I once nearly walked away from a coat because I didn't like the buttons. It took longer than it should have done for me to register that I could actually change the buttons really easily! I bought it, and rummaged in my button collection for some suitable ones, and now I LOVE it, and everyone always comments on it.
If something fits well, but you don't like the colour, it can be dyed. And if you can sew, then many things can be altered or re-fashioned to suit.
8. THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX
Cast your eye over the menswear section for snuggly jumpers and cardis. Men's shirts are a great source of quite a lot of fabric for sewing projects, as are sheets and duvets. Jeans are super versatile (here are some jean's upcycling ideas), and even ties can be upcycled in all kinds of imaginative ways.
Look at things with your upcycler's specs on: all kinds of things can be repurposed into something you need-check out all these ideas for old tennis rackets!
9. the sniff test...!
Some charity shops will have a particular smell to them, and this can pervade the clothes.
Check the labels to see if things can be chucked in the washing machine, and if they can then this should get rid of most whiffs.
Bicarb is a great de-odoriser (soak items in bicarb and water overnight), and a top tip from a theatre wardrobe mistress is that neat vodka sprayed onto smelly areas will remove the smell.
WHY BUY NOTHING NEW
Three years after embarking on My Make Do and Mend Year (our year Buying Nothing New) it's occurred to me that this is a post I've never written, and really should have: Why did we embark on our year of Buying Nothing New, and why do we continue to endeavour to live a pre-loved life?
I'll start with a short bit about why we started our year, and then give ten reasons why buying nothing new is awesome, and we should all be doing it (bring on the revolution!!)
I get asked a lot what prompted me to want to see if we could spend a year without buying anything new.
I think it was a succession of little things, and there was a lightbulb moment, but I don't think I was really looking at the big picture. I didn't really see how Buying Nothing New tied into lots of the bigger problems affecting the world.
Our eldest was 3 at the time, and I remember very clearly suddenly realising that he was already tuned into our societal desire for 'new stuff'. He had somehow taken on board the message that we need new stuff, more stuff, all the time. And he very vocally demanded it! It shocked me, that our society, or maybe our parenting, had made a three year old want new stuff, all the time. Had made him feel like his life would be better if he just had that new toy car, or that magazine.
I know now that it's probably entirely normal 3 year old behaviour, but I still wonder where it comes from. Is it hard wired into our hunter gatherer DNA, or have we created it somehow?
At around the same time, I read an article about someone embarking on a Secondhand Safari, and that was the lightbulb moment. The moment when I suddenly thought "Oooh, I wonder if we could do that?" In true me style, I jumped in with both feet.
Looking back, I think I was more than a little naive. I just thought it would be quite a fun challenge. I hadn't really thought much about 'why', or even 'how'. But I learned so much during that year.
So much about what is wrong with our modern Western way of life, our economic system, our supply chains, and our throwaway attitude to the planet's precious resources.
And so much about what we all as individuals can do to make change, to make a better world, to create ripples.
So with the benefit of hindsight, and the lessons learned along the way, here's my ten reasons for Buying Nothing New:
1) WE ARE RUNNING OUT OF RESOURCES
This has to be number 1.
We live on a finite planet, yet we consume as if the resources we are using are infinite.
I've written before about Earth Overshoot Day-it marks the point in the year when we have consumed a year's worth of resources. It's getting earlier and earlier each year-when I first wrote about it in 2013, it was on the 20th august. In 2015 it happened on August 13th.
Globally we use up 1.6 planet's worth of resources, and in the West, we use anywhere between and 3 and 4 planet's worth, with our wasteful ways.
When we go about our daily lives, and look around the High St, it can be hard to believe that we are rapidly approaching a time of scarcity. It feels very much like we living in a time of abundance, here in the developed world, and we are able to pretend that the effects of our over-consumption aren't really happening. They are happening, they are just happening where we don't see it, or where we don't like to look.
2) YOU LEARN TO APPRECIATE WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE
When you know that it's going to take a little bit more time and effort to find the thing that you want, you appreciate what you already have even more. You give more time to the concept that maybe you could 'make do' with what you already have.
It works especially well for clothes. I'm 4 months into a No New Clothes Challenge and one of my hopes when I started was that it would force me to wear more of the things in my wardrobe. I want to see what happens when I get thoroughly bored of my clothes, and to get inventive and really make use of, and appreciate, every item I own.
3) YOU LEARN NEW SKILLS
Prior to My Make Do and Mend Year, I could sew, but if a button fell off, I would hand it over to my mother in law to sew back on (yes, I am embarrassed to admit that now!).
I forced myself to try things that for some reason had always somehow scared me. I patched trouser (endlessly), I darned socks, and yes, I sewed on buttons!
If you don't know how to do something, the internet is an amazing resource, or ask around your friends and family-you might be surprised at the hidden skills people might have that would be prepared to share with you.
4) YOU GET A VERY SMUG FEELING WHEN YOU FIX SOMETHING
I'm not going to lie, there is something very smug making about fixing stuff. It's one of the best feelings. In fact, sugru had a campaign going at one point called "The Joy of Fix"..!
Your heart sinks when something breaks, but if you can salvage it and mend it, it's very empowering. I tend to go for function over appearance when mending, and am a big fan of visible mending. We should all be 'out and proud' with our mends-it starts a conversation, and it's how the ripples start to spread 🙂
5) YOU GET TO DISCOVER NEW RETAIL OUTLETS
Pre-My Make Do and Mend Year we were not a family of thrifters.
If we wanted something new, we wouldn't really give much thought to it, other than where we could get it cheapest. We would head straight for the High St, or Ikea, or look online for bargains, but it never occurred to us that there might be 'another way'.
Once we embarked on our year buying nothing new, we had to find other places to source the things we needed (or wanted). And to my surprise and delight there was an abundance of places to explore, and we could find what we wanted pretty easily. If the thought of 'secondhand' doesn't really appeal, try calling it 'vintage' or 'pre-loved', suddenly things become a whole lot more desirable..!
6) YOU GET TO EXPRESS YOUR OWN INDIVIDUALITY
Once you step away from the High St and the chain stores, you get to explore your own sense of style and individuality.
You don't have to worry about this season's latest fashions, or the latest interiors trends. You get to pick only the things that 'spark joy', to coin a phrase from tidying guru Marie Kondo.
And you can afford to buy better quality too, as it's nearly always cheaper to buy secondhand than it is to buy new.
Having previously been a bit scared of auction houses, I started to visit our local one during My Make Do and Mend Year, and was amazed at the amount, and quality, of the furniture on offer, all for less than it would cost you to buy the equivalent in say Ikea. And it was proper solid stuff.
If you can't find quite what you are looking for, then this is another chance to express your own style, and 'upcycle' it: for furniture you can strip it back and re-paint it, and change the knobs to create a completely unique piece; and for clothes, something really simple like changing the buttons can do wonders to change the look of a garment.
7) YOU SAVE MONEY
This was never really a motivating factor for us, but was a very well received 'by product' of Buying Nothing New!
I think it's a great 'entry point' for a lot of people, who maybe aren't that bothered about the planet (I know! Apparently there are some people out there...) but are bothered about ways they can save money. Hubby is more focussed on the money saving angle than me, and to be honest I think it's the bit about Buying Nothing New that he likes the best!
The good news is that Buying Nothing New saves you money. And it can be quite a lot. I estimated that we saved about £2000 over our year of Buying Nothing New. That's not an insignificant amount of money, and we did it without feeling deprived, or making our lives any harder.
8) YOU FIND YOUR TRIBE!
You discover a whole community of amazing people, waiting to cheer you on, help you out, and change the world
One of the things I never really expected when we started our journey, was all the wonderful people I would meet along the way, both online and in real life.
It really feels to me like a community has built up around this blog, and I love how we all support and encourage each other in our baby steps, and in the changes we are making to our lives.
The Facebook group keeps on going from strength to strength, and is such a mine of information and expertise!
In 'real life' as well, I've met people through Repair Cafes, and Mending groups, and can honestly say that the Make Do and Mend community is a very lovely one to be a part of.
9) YOU BECOME A CHANGE MAKER
By stopping and thinking a bit about what you are buying, by choosing to say "No" to fast fashion, and mass produced disposable goods, by choosing to buy less and buy better, you are giving out a message about the kind of world you want. When you say "No" to fast fashion and two t-shirts for £5, you are telling the world, and the big companies, and our political leaders, that want something different. That you don't want to support companies who pay kids to make us cheap clothes. That you don't want cheap clothes that can be thrown away rather than go to the effort of washing them (I have actually heard of this happening-it made me want to cry). That you want a different world.
Your choices matter. Your choices create change.
When you choose to make do with something you already have, or to mend something that has broken, you are making a choice. A good choice. One that is changing the world. Choice by choice.
10) YOU CREATE RIPPLES
Just making a start, making one small change to how you live your life, is like dropping a pebble into a lake. It makes a ripple.
Just subbing one pre-loved item, for one new one, will make a difference.
Making that one change, that one substitution, will make you more likely to do it again. And again. And again.
And then when your friends says "Wow, I love that top! Where did you get it from?", and you get to smile slightly smugly and reply "Oh, I picked this up in the charity shop", you start cogs whirring, and the ripples start to spread...
Hopefully that's inspired a few people to give it a go.
If you Buy Nothing New, some of the time, or all of the time, I'd love to hear your reasons!
12 QUICK SUSTAINABLE WINS
For me, making sustainable changes is all about 'chunking it down'.
1st picking an area you want to focus on -whether that's food, or fashion, or plastics, or something else.
And then picking ONE thing, one action, one change you want to make THIS WEEK.
To help you get started here are 12 ideas for 'quick wins' that you can put into action pretty much straight away - which one will you do this week?!
1) Making Do
Pick an area you want to focus on - it could be food, or clothes, or maybe even your craft stash.
Do a quick inventory to take stock, and then set yourself a challenge of how long you can 'make do' and not shop for - you could aim for a month of only shopping for fruit/veg/milk, or how about year without buying any new clothes (I did this in 2016 and it was a real eye-opener!)
2) Food
Do a stock take of your cupboards and fridge, and put together a meal plan for the week. Think about how you can use up any leftovers, or cook cannily - for example if I'm making a white sauce, I will always make double and then use it again later on in the week.
3) Family
If you have school aged children, then you will undoubtedly face the challenge of birthday parties and what to take as a gift.
This is my ultimate quick win:
Take a 100g bar of fair-trade chocolate and melt, then use a teaspoon to dollop chocolate onto a baking sheet and smoosh it out into giant chocolate buttons. Add sprinkles to the top and leave to set, then package up in a cleaned out jam jar (there might even be some spare, for testing purposes, obvs...!)
4) Clothes/Fashion
Set aside some time to go through your wardrobe. Make 3 piles: one of the keepers, the things you love and wear again and again; one of anything that no longer fits or that you no longer like (to go to the charity shop); and one of anything that needs mending and repairing.
Look at what you have and think about how you can mix and match different combinations to give you 'new' outfits.
5) Mending and Repair
Get a box and put in it all those things that are scattered around the house that need mending.
Then tackle just one - you will be amazed how little time it takes you and will wonder why you put it off for so long!
6) Home
Could you swap your energy supplier for a renewable tariff?
It always feels like a very intimidating thing to do, but is actually a really smooth process (in my experience) and is one thing you can do that really will make a huge difference to your carbon footprint, all in less than half an hour!
Check out Ecotricity or Good Energy if you're in the UK.
7) Plastic-free
The big three single use plastic bad guys are plastic bags, plastic bottles, and straws.
And they are so easily combatted!
Make sure you have your re-usable bags, your re-usable bottles, and either just ditch the straws, or check out some of the alternatives (you can get bamboo, stainless steel and even glass straws)
8) Travel and transport
Have a car free day - take public transport, bike or walk.
Could you commit to one car free day a week?
9) Zero-Waste
Take a peek in your bin - what makes up most of it's contents?
Is it food waste? Is it plastic?
What ONE thing could you do to start to make progress on it?
10) Body and Soul
Ditch the body moisturiser, the night time cream, the day time cream, the aftershave balm (all in plastic bottles) for one magic solution - coconut oil!
But be aware, not all coconut oils are created equal, and some really aren't especially stainable - I use this one from Lucy Bee.
11) Celebrations
With Christmas just gone, it might feel a little strange to be gearing up for it again already, but don't ditch those Christmas cards - cut them up and make them into gift tags or cards ready for next year. Just think how smug you'll feel next year when you pull them out all ready to go!
12) Community
How and where can you find the support that you need to keep you motivated and to keep you going?
Lots of you will already be in my big A Sustainable Life FB community which is a brilliant resource and a great place to connect with like-minded people.
Phew! That turned into a bit of an epic blog post - don't feel overwhelmed and try to do ALL the things today!
Pick ONE thing to do today, and schedule in the others over the next few weeks. The key is to chunk it all down and keep taking baby steps forwards.
Leave a comment below to let me know what you're going to do first!
TEN TOP TIPS FOR BUYING NOTHING NEW
Spending a whole year buying nothing new was the starting point for my personal sustainable living journey, so it should come as no surprise that I’m a bit of a fan!
I’ve written a whole post about “Why Buy Nothing New” but in essence, it’s a brilliantly simple framework to use to start to change your buying habits, at the same time as keeping stuff out of landfill and saving a shed load of resources.
If you’re thinking you might like to dip your toes into the wonderful world of Buying Nothing New, here are some tips to get you started!
1) If the thought of a year Buying Nothing New is making you feel a little trepidatious (I assure you you will find it easier than you think!) then why not ease in slowly, with a Buy Nothing New week, or month. Or aim to do a day every week, or a week every month and see how it goes.
I am a bit of an all or nothing type, so for me it was easier to commit to the whole year, but I guarantee that the very act of Buying Nothing New even for some of the time, will make you reflect more on the ‘normal’ purchases you are making. And you may find that you automatically cut down on what you are buying new without even thinking about it.
2) Avoid the shops!
For example-one of the things I found I missed the most was crafting mags like Mollie Makes, and Simply Crochet, but I found I didn’t miss them as much, if I didn’t torture myself by going in to the newsagents and browsing them each month!
Or, if you find that you often buy the odd item of clothing when you go to the big supermarket to do your food shop, you could change supermarket to a smaller one, or just change your route around the supermarket so you don’t cruise the clothes aisles!
3) Hit the shops! The charity shops.
You can find all kinds of things in charity shops-most of which you don’t need, but quite often there are little gems.
They are great for clothes, and for kids toys/clothes, as well as lots of household items.
I always check out the duvets/sheets etc as sometimes you can get really cool retro bedding sets, which give you LOADS of fabric for making, for very little money.
4) Make a list
Because you can’t just pop out and buy whatever you want/need, I found it useful tokeep a list of the things I was on the look-out for, and keep it with me. Then the next time I was doing a round of the charity shops, I could consult my list to see if there was anything I could cross off.
5) Ask!
If you let people know what you are doing, you may find that people start giving you first dibs on anything that they are getting rid of. We were given bags full of boys clothes, fabric, etc.
Facebook is also a great place to ask-just posting on your own personal page saying what you are looking for, especially if it’s just something you need to borrow for a short while.
6) Join your local Freecycle/Freegle group
If you aren’t already a member, you NEED to join!
You can post any items you are de-cluttering and people will come to your house to collect them, saving you a trip to the charity shop. AND you can post WANTEDs for things you are looking for-you will be amazed what people get rid of, and are happy to let you have for free.
7) Be prepared to think outside the box
Having to source things second-hand makes you far more inventive and resourceful. Ask yourself if you really NEED something. If you are going to have to put time and effort into finding it, you will be surprised how often you don’t seem to NEED something quite so keenly..!
If you really need/want it, ask yourself if you can repairthe thing you need to replace? Or can use something elsein it’s place?
I found that by the time I actually found what I thought I so desperately needed/wanted, I had either learned to make dowithout it, or to make do with something else instead.
8) If you really need something specific, then sites like eBay and Pre-loved are great. You can search for what you want and set yourself a budget. Just remember to tick the ‘Used’ box in the search options, otherwise you could end up inadvertently buying something new!
9) Learn to sew
This is such a useful skill, and allows you to make a whole heap of stuff, and mend lots of things too!
If you don’t have a machine, keep your eye out of Freegle/Freecycle, or post a WANTED, or ask your friends/family if anyone has one taking up room that they no longer use.
If you have no idea how to even thread the machine, or what the heck a bobbin is (this was me 6 years ago..!) then have a look at The Sewing Directory for beginners classes near you, or again, just ask! If you ask around, you may have friends who could show you the basics, or join your local Streetbankgroup, and you may find someone happy to do a skill share/swap
10) Come and join my sustainable living community over on Facebook! It’s a fabulous bunch of people, sharing their ideas, inspiration and top tips for living more lightly. It’s a great place to ask for help with anything you are struggling with, and everyone is very friendly and very lovely indeed!
11) Because all the best Top 10 lists actually have 11 things…
Enjoy it, have fun, be kind to yourself, and don’t beat yourself up if you slip a little every now and then.
And above all, remember:
It’s your money. You get to choose who you give it to, and what you buy.
[004] – COMMUNITY GARDENING WITH SARA VENN FROM INCREDIBLE EDIBLE BRISTOL
Before we start – a little heads up about the background noise on this one – Sara works in an incredibly hip co-working space surrounded by trendy millenials and moustache wax, who can be heard getting themselves a skinnydoubleshotdecaffavocado latte in the background..!
Sara Venn is one of the first people I thought of when I first had the idea for this podcast.
She is an absolute inspiration who founded Incredible Edible Bristol and transformed not just unloved spaces around the city, but people’s lives too.
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[002] – MEET THE FOUNDER OF THE UK’S FIRST TOOL LIBRARY
Tool libraries are a brilliantly simple concept, and are a pretty popular thing over in North America, but up until a couple of years ago, we didn’t have even one here in the UK.
All that changed in 2015 when Chris Hellawell started up The Edinburgh Tool Library. It’s an inspirational story of one man with a vision, who is creating huge positive change in his community and showing the Sharing Economy is about far more than simply ‘stuff’.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download