By Arelys Morales Conty/campus editor
Buying clothes on a budget is difficult, and cheap clothes can be made using practices that hurt the planet. It’s a tug-of-war between watching your wallet and helping the environment.
According to an article by Ecowatch, fast fashion is one of the leading causes of pollution, second only to oil. The actions we take are having more and more of an impact on our planet.
Recycling clothes and buying secondhand are ways we can reduce our impact on the environment.
When trends die or clothes don’t fit anymore, they get thrown in the trash and eventually end up in a landfill.
Instead, those same clothes could be donated to a charity like Goodwill or the Salvation Army. Clothes could also be resold in garage sales or estate sales to people who can’t afford department-store prices.
A new survey says the average U.S. citizen will throw away 81 pounds of clothes in just one year.
According to College Fashion, sustainable clothing is more expensive because they don’t use harmful dyes and are ethically produced. These clothes can be made from recycled fabrics or from organic wool and linen, which haven’t been chemically treated.
From Fashion United, fast fashion costs less because companies mass produce clothes with cheap materials.
Fast fashion is when trends pop up on runways or social media. The clothes are not made to last so they get thrown out quicker and quicker.
Secondhand shops and thrift stores are great for this purpose. They resell gently used clothes at lower prices.
Shopping from stores like Goodwill and Plato’s Closet helps the environment and doesn’t strain the wallet, which is one more way for college students to get involved in saving the planet.
Support local businesses by going to secondhand shops in the area like The Coat of Many Colors in Bedford, The Restoration Boutique in Hurst, Berry Good Buys in Fort Worth, which benefits Safe Haven, and the Arlington Resale Store, which supports Women’s Metroplex Clinic.
These actions can help you save money and also help the environment as well as benefit people in need.
