SECONDHAND SEPTEMBER
It is Secondhand September! Our consumer driven culture is putting increasing pressure on our planet, and its people, and it isn’t sustainable. If you are looking to make a difference for the sake of the environment one of the best ways is to shop second hand – reuse and upcycle. Consignment shops, thrift stores and even online marketplaces are great places to find items that still have lots of life in them yet! In my experience, you can find almost everything you are looking for second hand and it doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice quality, or your style, either. I have been blown away by the items I have found shopping second hand that were basically brand new.
You may think that shopping second hand doesn’t make a difference but its impact is huge! Buying textiles second hand helps to reduce water consumption and when you consider it takes 13 years for ONE person to drink the water needed to make one cotton t-shirt and a pair of jeans, that’s a lot!
It reduces chemical pollution and landfill waste because you are purchasing something that was already circulating and preventing it from entering the landfill after the first owner was through with it. The stats show that only 20% of textiles are recycled and with the current demand for ‘fast fashion’ the 80% that is going to the landfill is an enormous amount!
Whether you need some new dishes, housewares or a new pair of jeans give second hand a try.
