A few months ago I decided to start living an almost zero waste life. I’ve always thought I was living a green life in small ways but I realized that my green lifestyle revolved around me and not the environment. I’m now taking this sustainable and ethical living all the way.
I have thought about Ethical Fashion for years now. A few years back, I almost joined the “Ethical fashion rave” as people call it but decided to take a few steps back to do more research when I met a few local ladies who worked in the factories and had strong opinion about this. They said if the companies they worked for were confronted about being unethical, the companies would just move to another country and leave them with no jobs. I also have friends in Kenya who own stalls where they sell the clothes you give/throw away and they said if the fast fashion industry is killed, they will run out of business. As much as I understand their perspective, I’ve looked at the bigger picture, followed some educational pages and companies, and came to a decision that I want to be part of the solution not the problem.
The decision to apply this type of lifestyle to my fashion blog has affected my earnings because I finally sent the last email today canceling my partnership with all the fast fashion brands (get to know what’s FAST FASHION). I was part of the problem because I helped the fast fashion brands make sales by advertising for them. I also received a lot of free clothes and shoes in collaboration which ended up being trashed like single use plastic because of the need to have something current.
I’m now moving away from fast fashion industry and trying to live a sustainable life. If you would like to join me in this journey, we can start small by doing the following things.
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Eliminating Single use – Say no to straws, carry your own to go mug from home when buying that coffee, say no to plastic cutlery and stop supporting any outlet that still uses plastic cutlery. Write down all the single-use stuff that you currently use and try to find alternative solutions.
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Finish the unethical products you have. Don’t throw them away because you want to start living that sustainable lifestyle. Wear the clothes you already have, use everything you have now and afterwards, start looking for reusable sustainable ones.
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I minimized food packaging – I now bring my own bag everywhere. I have a bag for fruits and vegetables which helps me say no to packaging.
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Don’t buy anything from the fast fashion industry. Know how and where your product was made. There’s a huge list of fashion brands that are unethically made. I have stopped supporting them.
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Shop Second hand – As soon as I’m done with what I have in my wardrobe, I’ll start buying second hand clothes, shoes, and accessories.
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Separate/Recycle your trash – If you have plastic and paper, don’t mix it with the rest of the waste. In most countries, there’s separate bin for plastic, cans, papers which is all recycled.
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Stop buying plastic water bottles and avoid plastic kitchen wear.
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Try Plastic free oral care like using bamboos toothbrush and floss in refillable plastic container.
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Instead of buying wash soap in bottles, I’ll find alternatives like unpackaged bar soaps.
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Switch to organic eco friendly makeup . There are tons of non-toxic makeup brands that are cruelty-free, eco-friendly, and sustainable.
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Style the few clothes you have in your closet differently. Make many outfits from your very few clothes. You get to save money by not keeping up with the latest trend.
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Keep in mind that you’re still part of the problem if you buy Clothes, Shoes, and accessories from the best ethical brands and get rid of them because you don’t want to wear the same outfit a few times. Wear your clothes as long as possible and avoid fast fashion.
Being a conscious consumer is important because the people making our clothes deserve the same respect, opportunity, and love that our friends and families do. They are someone’s friend and family too.
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Is there anything else you would advice me to consider as a beginner? Feel free to add in the comment box below. Let’s connect on my social media pages below.
