Thinking of starting your sustainable lifestyle journey?
The bright warm days of summer make it easy to start new routines and change your habits!
Take part in my July Refashion Challenge: Sustainable Summer Tips and check out my top 8 eco-friendly lifestyle hints below:
1. Create the perfect picnic from preloved gear. Putting together a marvelously unique, completely reusable and oh-so-cheap DIY picnic in the park is a cinch as sturdy baskets, cases and bags + dishware and cutlery can all be found at thrift stores and charity shops (and maybe even your own cupboards)!
2. Wash in cold and line dry. Heating the water accounts for over 90% of the energy used for laundry. Washing in cold water is just as effective as washing in hot AND saves energy + your garments won’t shrink and will even last longer, yay! Hanging clothes to dry (indoors or out) is a convenient and sustainable alternative to energy wasting dryers. There’s also zero chance of high temperature heat damage to clothing. Tip: Hang dark or dyed garments in shaded areas to avoid fading.
3. Shop local. Farmers markets are great places to shop for ultra fresh foods and ensure that those delectable ingredients you’re transforming into yummy meals haven’t had to travel thousands of miles. This cuts down on the use of fossil fuels, which then leads to massively reduced levels of pollution as well as Earth resource depletion versus just about anything from supermarket chains.
4. Ditch the car. Reduce the miles you drive whenever possible. Walk, bike, car-share or take public transport to your destination and get a little sunshine, exercise + reduce your carbon footprint.
5. Make do with what you already have. Have a serious think before you make a purchase: Do you really need it? Will it be used often? Is it something you can easily pass on to someone in your circles once you decide you don’t want it anymore? (As only about 20% of items donated to thrift shops actually make it on to the shop floor for resale it’s better to give your unwanted gear to those that you know will actually make use of them)
6. Throw a wardrobe audit summer swap party. Sort through your closets, drawers, shoes and accessories, have your friends do the same then meet up and have a fab evening swapping your unwanted gear for fab new-to-you wardrobe faves! The completely free and 100% sustainable way to refresh your style and decor!
7. Thrift! If you absolutely need something new, get it secondhand whenever possible. New to you is still new!
8. Refashion what you already own into completely different garments. It’s amazing how a quick snip or small tweak can transform those unworn pieces at the back of your closet! My site is chock full of simple step-by-step DIYs for gals, guys, kiddos, accessories and even home furnishings to get you started!
Head on over and share your inspiring sustainable style stories with the Gone Thrifting group!
Continue your passion for refashion with my Confessions of a Refashionista e-book series:
One more thing — 20% of items donated to thrift stores make it onto the floor?? What happens to the rest? Do they throw them out?
It’s crazy sad but true, thrift stores & charity shops receive such an over abundance of completely free donated merchandise every single day that only about 20% of it ever reaches the shop floor – valuable items are sold to dealers, excess/damaged/unusable goods are sold by the ton to recyclers overseas and the unsellable leftovers are tossed 🙁
Here’s a fab documentary about the garment recyclers overseas: https://awesomesauceasshattery.com/2015/04/17/unraveled-what-happens-to-your-discarded-clothes/
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Love these tips, some are so simple but so effective to keep a sustainable Summer routine. Quick Q – where do you get your pictures from? They look fab, and really suit the post. x
Cheers! Starting a sustainable lifestyle in the summer is crazy simple and can then easily be carried on throughout the year 😀
Some of the pics are mine and others are from here: https://www.pexels.com/