What is your resolution this year?
The New Year as the name implies is often an opportunity for everyone to start over, or in some cases reflect, re-strategize and rebrand. It is an opportunity for growth and renewal. It’s the time for vision boards, new workout routines, diet plans, and lifestyle changes that we all plan to stick to. Besides your workout routine and saving for that new car what will your sustainable resolution be this year?
Everyone wants to set new achievements or goals for the new year, how about less is more? especially motivated by the fact that most of the world is in a recession. Working on yourself and your goals doesn’t need you to turn into an entirely new leaf, it just means working on what you already have. Does this sound familiar? because I think it sounds like that voice in your head saying you don’t need another “pair of shoes”. How about we use this opportunity to do things differently, spend less and do something for the planet at the same time.
Overconsumption is a key contributor to the already growing increase in pollution and toxic gases harmful to the environment. According to a recent article by Greenpeace environmental impact of the holiday season is grave, with an increase of 25% in waste and pollution. The aggressive advertising and marketing, in the guise of spreading good cheer, is driving overconsumption which is negatively impacting the environment. The institution needs to be held accountable for this, and that would mean going into the detail of who is responsible; brands, ad agencies, the media, consumers, or the government?
It’s argued that advertising in general encourages unsustainable consumption, shifting the landscape of capitalism from needs-based to wants-based production, creating a mentality of wasteful consumption, conceivably the primary cause of overconsumption. The Advertising and Media industry have the economic influence with sheer size and experience to drive a culture shift and embed sustainable consumption for brands and consumers.
Leading expert bodies have declared the fashion industry as one of the biggest polluters in the world, imagine that pollution increasing by 25%! The amount of fashion items consumed pre, present, and post the festive period, leaves an impact that’s devastating on our planet, implementing more sustainable practices in the fashion industry is no longer a luxury but a necessity. The fashion industry all claims to want to be more sustainable, but they are constantly promoting and advertising overconsumption. A perfect example of this would be the Black Friday sales, items are heavily discounted for some days and who doesn’t love a good sale, I know I do, so why am I complaining? — Well, the problem with the idea is people tend to buy what they don’t need because of the idea of it being on sale, we are all victims of FOMO, so we shop excessively to feel like we belong.
Apart from the waste driven by purchases, there is still the problem of logistics, and carbon emitted locally and internationally. Imagine that one billion people on the internet are just a click away from creating massive pollution and waste with each order and return. Do you really know what happens to your online “returns”? —most of them end up in landfills because the logistics and costs of putting items back in the stores are too complicated. You might now be asking the question “where would I get items I can’t afford without sales?”—the simple answer would be to plan and buy only what you need.
Being sustainable applies to every aspect of our lives; the food we eat, the transport we use, the energy and water we consume, the waste we produce, the clothes we wear, and so on. It is our responsibility as consumers to be mindful of our consumption, consuming less is the best we can do to promote sustainable habits for our planet. It’s as easy as having a diet, workout routine, or any other regimen you swear by. If you don’t know how and where to start your fashion-sustainable journey or resolution, then I hope these steps will help:
– Shop resale and rental: This is one of the best ways to be sustainable in fashion, you are not only reducing waste and demand for new clothing. It is not only better for the environment but helps to support local thrift stores and small businesses.
– Invest in quality pieces: Instead of buying cheap, fast fashion items that will quickly fall apart, invest in high-quality pieces that will last years to come. This will save you money and reduce the amount of clothing that ends up in landfill. Tiffanie’s rule of five suggests that everyone is entitled to no more than five new garments a year due to the rate of overconsumption. To slow down its negative impact on the environment, 5 fashion items is apparently all we can afford. A report from the Hot and Cool Institute states that the UK needs to reduce its consumption by 80%! to stay in line with the 1.5C global warming limit. This rule might seem impossible, but in a state of climate emergency, we may have no choice.
– Upcycle: Before you discard a piece of clothing try repairing or altering it. Learn slow living, and extend the life of your clothes instead of discarding them. This will save you money, give your clothes longer life and be great for the environment.
– Choose eco-friendly materials: Synthetic materials like polyester and nylon are made from fossil fuels and are not biodegradable unless recycled polyester. Look for clothing made from recycled or natural materials like organic cotton, linen, and wool which are more environmentally friendly when sustainably sourced.
Science has proven, that the secret to a successful New Year’s resolution is to keep the list short, pick one thing and stick to it. So how about making ‘buying less and doing more with less’ your mantra for 2023. This is the one resolution you can’t go wrong with, good for your pocket and good for the planet.
I dare you all to take the challenge.
Written by: Mirabelle Uche
Edited by: Nnenna Hemeson
