Barely a month goes by without a news story about our how our clothing has been made in some sweatshop or other. We’re also reading about how climate change is one of the greatest threats this planet has seen. Yet, for the women’s glossies it’s business as usual, with extensive spreads on new fashions and trends, and how to dress like this or that celebrity.

For those of us who are concerned about human-rights issues AND the environment, the question comes up again and again – how can I dress ‘ethically’ without buying clothes from sweatshops and destroying the planet? The simple answer is to dress yourself in recycled clothing.Of course, it might mean that you’re not wearing the latest catwalk style, but at the same time you can put together a well thought-out and unique look without troubling your conscience.

Why recycled?

There are very good reasons why recycled clothing is good for the planet. You’re not wasting fabrics or old clothes that might otherwise go in the bin and become landfill, and in turn this is really important because landfill can create serious environmental problems - quite apart from the fact that we’re running out of space to dump stuff in anyway!

At the moment, textiles make up about three per cent of our household waste, which all adds up to one million tonnes thrown out every year. At least half of this could be recycled, thus saving resources. To add to the problem, once we’ve dumped them into landfill, many textiles don’t decompose and the chemicals within them can contribute to environmental pollution. Wool does decompose but then it produces methane, which contributes to global warming.

Buying second-hand saves resources and means less pollution too. Buying from a charity shop means that your money will go to a good cause, but charity shops aren’t the only way. Jumble sales, car boot sales and eBay are other alternatives. Or for a cheaper option, why not host a clothes-swap party? Some friends and I have been doing this for years – we all gather at someone’s house, having brought a bunch of clothes that we no longer wear, and spend the evening trying on them on, taking what we want and donating all the rest to charity. It’s great fun.

Recycled ‘new’ clothing

Second-hand isn’t the only kind of recycled clothing. There are a lot of new designers making new clothes (or shoes) from recycled clothes, fabrics or fibres. Last year, I picked up a fantastic skirt that was made from old curtain material. If you’re really enthusiastic, you could even recycle your own. All you’ll need is a sewing machine, perhaps some beads, threads, patches and buttons, and of course your imagination to innovate and rejuvenate your tired old pairs of jeans, t-shirts and jumpers.

Some useful links

Shoes:
www.wornagain.co.uk

Clothes

www.goodone.co.uk www.lmb.co.uk www.fromsomewhere.co.uk www.junkystyling.co.uk www.traid.org.uk - promoting textile recycling www.emmeline4re.co.uk

written by Ruth Rosselson - Ruth Rosselson has been a writer and researcher at the Ethical Consumer magazine since 1997. She is also the clothing editor. She sits on the board of Labour Behind the Label and also works as a Life/confidence coach.