Zero Waste Life: Learning How to Embrace Less to Live More
Since styles change so much, the average consumer discards about 80 pounds of clothing each year. To make matters worse, most thrift stores are inundated with donated clothing. Many of these stores won’t accept cheap, fast fashion items because of the poor resale value and bad quality.
Burst:
The EPA estimates that textiles account for 5 percent of landfill space.
I know that keeping a bulging closet isn’t healthy, so I have a “one in” and “three out” rule: for every article of clothing I bring home, I donate three pieces that I no longer wear. here are a few tips to keeping your closet as environmentally conscious as you are.
Buy less. Make a conscious effort to buy fewer pieces of clothing. If 20 percent of the items in your closet are going unused, then you should work to minimize more. take some time to assess your overall number of items and start minimizing your possessions, keeping only the things that have a purpose. this will make you feel less stressed.
Unsubscribe to marketing emails and remove yourself from mailing lists. If you no longer get sale notifications and “store bucks” in the mail, you won’t know what you’re missing.
Also, unfollow social media influencers who entice you to buy.
Keep a wish list. A list of items keeps you on track and allows for self-accountability.
The great thing about the list is that you’ll find that items are more likely to fall off than get scratched off. Establish a time period (a few weeks or months) in which to keep the items on your wish list. this gives you time to evaluate if you need it in the first place.
Check secondhand sources first.
You’ve probably gathered that getting things secondhand is the better choice, but that doesn’t mean settling for any item just because it meets the description on your list. Look for items that will last and are made from quality materials. secondhand doesn’t mean cheap quality. ideally, when hunting down any item, look for things made from natural fibers and avoid fast fashion brands that design clothing to fall apart. here are some places that you can find secondhand clothing:
Ministry Earth is a collective Awareness-Raising, Perception-Building Initiative from Humanity Healing International, Cathedral of the Soul Educational outreaches created to introduce the perspective of Ethical Consciousness and Nonhuman Personhood to its Animal & Eco Ministries. Ministry Earth is a Service-Oriented Initiative and its Magazine is a Copyrighted Publication of OMTimes Media, Inc. Broadcasting and Publishing House.