Why?
Buying second-hand is cheaper, stimulates the local economy, helps charities, stops clothing from becoming waste and cuts out the need to use new resources. The clothing industry is the world’s second largest industrial polluter and emits around 10% of global greenhouse emissions. People consumed 60% more clothes in 2016 than they did 20 years previously and Britons buy more clothes than any other Europeans!
This bingeing on clothing means evermore is ending up as waste in landfill or as microplastics shed into waterways from cheap, plastic based fabrics like nylon and polyester.
How?
Buying second hand reduces the emissions associated with making and transporting items. We tend to keep second hand clothes for longer, keeping vintage/pre-loved clothes for 5.4 years on average compared to 4 years for off the peg purchases.
Cambridge Carbon Footprint’s Circular Directory lists dozens of the city’s charity and vintage shops, auction houses, reuse centres and repair services. They also organise an annual Sustainable Fashion Festival.
Cambridge Carbon Footprint, and its partners throughout Cambridgeshire, organise regular clothes swap parties, or swishes. For upcoming swishes see Upcoming events.
CCF supports groups, organisations and workplaces to organise their own by loaning out a full swish kit and providing step-by-step advice. Details here.
Popular kilo sales visiting Cambridge include Judy’s Vintage Fair, Worth the Weight and Preloved Vintage Wholesale.
Targeted and timely sales/swap can make buying second hand the easier option e.g. organising a second hand costume sale at school in early October using the Cambridge Carbon Footprint clothes swap kit.
Support
- Borrow the Cambridge Carbon Footprint Swish Kit and set up a clothes swap in your workplace, school or community group
- The Nuw Wardrobe is a fantastic local clothes sharing app that helps you borrow other local people’s clothes, footwear and accessories for a small monthly fee. You can borrow items for an occasional event or longer.
- Fashion Revolution, Good on You and Love Your Clothes are great sources of info and inspiration around sustainable fashion.