Loveland Magazine is one of the 400 news outlets worldwide, with a combined audience of over 2 billion people “Covering Climate Now”, a global journalism initiative committed to bringing more and better coverage to the defining story of our time.
The initiative, was co-founded by The Nation and Columbia Journalism Review

Mihaela Manova is “Covering Climate Now” in Loveland, Ohio as an editor for Loveland Magazine

Part 3 of this series

As much as we have talked about the need to better our habits into becoming more sustainable, we must acknowledge the other side. In the beginning, this article was going to suggest the brands and new materials that can replace unsustainable goods. But during this climate, we must acknowledge that not everyone has the luxury to shop sustainably.

Read Part 1 – Your introduction to sustainable fashion/ Covering Climate Now

Read Part 2 – The dark side of fast fashion/ Covering Climate Now

 

Sustainability has grown more popular in the social media spheres as more consumers are pushing for a positive change in the environment and people’s working conditions.

Take for example the 8.1 million photos on Instagram with the tag #sustainablefashion, videos on YouTube giving life hacks on the subject, and the 230 tweets written in the past hour with the hashtag, #Sustainability.

This word has not only gained popularity online, but is pushing stores like Ikea in turning away from unsustainable practices and replacing them with more eco-friendly choices.

But with the making of more sustainable and ethical products, prices seem to skyrocket in comparison to its fast fashion counterpart.

Most often, sustainable clothing is made with quality materials and fair labor practices, thus giving more time to craft the garment. With having it ethically produced, the price escalates as the quantity of those garments becomes lower. Many shops order small batches and sell those, limiting the quantity of exports and making them more “limited edition.” 

Even though sustainability is marketed as something that we must perfect and be 100% ready to switch all of our clothing and items for, that is actually far from the truth. As social media can be pressuring for this change of lifestyle, we must take it step by step. 

Consequentelly, we must first begin with practices that will encourage sustainability, even with the items that we have at home.

When it comes to our seasonal wardrobe one must first consider what they need and don’t need. Decluttering and donating to thrift stores seems like a given, yet we forget the other options.

If you have younger siblings, cousins, family members, consider putting some stuff aside for them. Even giving away clothing to friends, or prom dresses to organizations like Cinderella’s Boutique can ease your wardrobe while still practicing sustainability.

If you have clothes or designer items that you want to sell, consider making an account on apps like Depop, Poshmark, or making a separate Instagram account to sell your pieces to your friends.

Any other things (accessories, jackets, etc.) you may feel like you want to give away, consider women/men’s shelters. Any extra gloves, hats, and jackets can help people in those shelters survive in the approaching chilling months.

As this article marks an end to this series, we must remember that a single person can indeed contribute a lot to the environment regardless of where they live, who they are, or what they have. When individuals begin sustainable practices, they have the power to influence family members and friends to do the same, and make a greater impact in multiple numbers.

So begin today, you have the power to make it happen.

Master list of affordable and sustainable brands/stores:

For the home:

  • Brandless – a company based no having brands for their products – at a cheap price, includes personal care and household items
  • Viva Terra – chic decor at reasonable prices, ranges from kitchen items to seasonal decor
  • Gardener’s Supply Company– a B-Corp company (balancing business and profit). They also give away 8% of their profit to support local organizations that focus on community gardening and farming.

Clothing:

Places to give away your clothes/things/services:

Apps for selling your clothing/goods: