How to be Fashionably Sustainable: Reducing Your Textile Waste Footprint

Part two in a three-part series brought to you by us, sharing note-worthy tips and tricks on shopping smart, reducing your textile waste footprint PLUS, how to find sustainable brands!

According to The Canadian Encyclopedia.ca “Canada's consumption of textiles and clothing by volume is about 2% of the world's total, and Canadian mills now supply less than 50% of this amount,” That means that we are one of the largest consumers of textiles and by default, one of the largest producers of textile waste globally. Most textiles are not biodegradable which means: that ugly sweater that your Grandma gave you will probably live on forever. To combat this, we decided to compile a list of helpful tips that you can adopt into your lifestyle.

REDUCE YOUR CONSUMPTION

Buy only out of necessity. Meaning, buy only what you need and not what you want. Yes, that means you don’t need that same top in 3 different colours.

PROPERLY DISPOSE OF UNWANTED ITEMS

If you are about to donate unwanted items, please (please) make sure that they are in good condition: clean them, smell them, inspect them. If they are not in good condition, find a store or facility that offers textile waste recycling.

SWAP AND TRADE ITEMS THAT YOU WANT TO GET RID OF

Clothing swaps are a trendy, unique way to reduce your textile waste and spend time with your friends. The instructions are simple: Tell your friends to bring a bag of clothes (that are in good condition) to trade with others. Whatever they can fit in the bag, they can keep!

SELL THE THINGS YOU DON'T WANT ANYMORE

Not everything has to end up in a donation bin. If your clothing is still in really good shape, you can sell it and get a bit of money back. There are a few consignment stores in Ottawa that might be willing to sell your clothes on your behalf. And if you don't want to hike out to one of those stores, Kijiji and Faceboook Marketplace are also great options that you can use at home.

LESS IS ALWAYS MORE

Having a wardrobe that consists of very few pieces can be beneficial. It’ll make picking out your outfits in the morning way easier. Your boss will thank me later.



As Canadians, our textile waste footprints are immense. With that said, it is important that we as a community take measures to improve our lifestyles. We can start by reducing our consumption: again, buy only what you need. When you do need new items, always consider purchasing from a sustainable brand. Once you are ready to get rid of some of your clothing, please dispose of them properly: If something is still in good shape, donate it. If it is in poor condition: recycle it.

~ hanna beauport - furniture reuse clerk