Over the past couple of months, I have been reading about sustainability and what it really means to be sustainable. The word sustainability in itself is open to a lot of interpretation and many companies exploit this word because more and more people are starting to worry about their impact on the environment. In the next year, and for the rest of my life, I really want to do a better job at consuming less in general. I hope that this post will hold me a little bit more accountable for my daily actions.
I recently watched Hasan Minaj’s segment on fast fashion, and it was essentially what I have been hearing from my Mom for the past decade. She would always talk about clothes she had owned from her 20’s and I don’t think I ever understood what that meant. I think fast fashion is so ingrained in each one of us to be the only option, that we don’t really think about it.
Over the next year, I want to create habits that I can continue for the rest of my life.
- Think twice before buying anything.
“We ask our customers to think twice before you buy a jacket from us. Do you really need it, or are you just bored?” — Yvon Chouinard. This is a quote from the founder of Patagonia, and I think it really resonated with me. There have been countless times where I’ve genuinely been bored and went online shopping. I’d like to think that most of the clothes I bought during those times were needed, but a lot of them sat in my closet and accumulated dust. In the past few months, I’ve been more aware of my online shopping habits, and have stopped myself from purchasing things because I know I already have enough clothing.
2. Buy items that will last longer.
One of the biggest selling points of fast fashion is that it is cheap. As a college student with not a lot of money, fast fashion fits into my budget in a very nice way. However, I think I now have a little bit more money and am willing to spend more on pieces that are made well and will stay in fashion for longer amounts of time. I think rather than buying clothing that is made “sustainably”, I want to invest in pieces that I can use for the next 5–10 years.
3. Take care of my stuff.
I think I already do this, but when it comes to clothing, technology, and any other belongings, it is important to take care of it! Things that are made cheaply, can still be made to last longer than intended. This way, less waste is created by buying and throwing away these items frequently.
As of right now, these are my three main goals. It is definitely a starting point, but I hope to add more as the year goes on. Let me know what kinds of goals you have for 2020, and how you feel about sustainability!
