Sustainability has become a hot topic everywhere. A surfeit of brands that are calling themselves sustainable or eco-friendly have recently flooded the market, behemoths like Unilever, Zara, H&M, are launching sustainable products and collections. Magazines, newspapers, and digital publications are all about tips and tricks to incorporate sustainability into your lifestyle. Whether it is switching to a zero-waste shampoo barm choosing a bamboo toothbrush, buying sneakers made from recycled plastic waste, or using reusable bags for your grocery shopping, there are plenty of products and ideas to inspire you to make conscious chocies.
This is great news, and I believe we are living in exciting times because finally people are accepting the impact of climate change and are aware of the consequences of their choices. But at the same time, so much information can be overwhelming for some. Plus, there is a lot of pressure to be perfect. As a consequence, many people end up not doing anything.
Let’s be real. Most people aren’t going to completely change their lifestyle. Yes, there will be some who will aim for perfection, and they might attain it to a certain level, but this isn’t realistic for everyone.
But, just because you can’t live a completely zero-waste life, can’t turn vegan {just yet}, can’t give up shopping, or have other “can’ts” in your list does not mean you can’t practice sustainability.
The important thing is to start somewhere.
Know this:
The world will be a better place not by a few people living a perfectly sustainable life but by billions trying sustainability imperfectly.
So, let’s start small.
If you love fashion and cannot commit to never buying a piece of “new clothing” ever again, don’t give up. Just because you can’t give up shopping does not mean you can make your fashion consumption sustainable.
Sustainable fashion can be each of these, a combination of these or all of these together –
- Handcrafted
- Fairtrade
- Eco-friendly
- Zero-waste
- Traditional craft and artisanal
- Local
- Indigenous
- Transparent
- Cultural appropriation
- Circular
- Vegan
- Second-hand
You can choose whatever values you resonate with, and support brands & use products that adhere to your values.
For example, if you are vegan who doesn’t support any form of animal cruelty, support vegan brands or shop from vegan collections of conventional brands. If you are passionate about the right treatment of people – support brands that pay fair wages to their people, treat them with respect and provide them good working conditions.
But start somewhere…….
Don’t hold back because you want to chase perfection or because you’re worried you’re not doing it correctly. Go ahead, make those changes and be proud of yourself for helping to make a difference, however small or big it is!
ABOUT MY NOT SO PERFECTLY SUSTAINABLE OUTFIT
- I am wearing an outfit from the imperfectly sustainable fashion brand The Jodi Life from India (gifted by my sister who bought it because it was labeled “sustainable”. The brand pays living wages to their workers, focuses on handcrafted products, produces locally, and promotes Indian crafts through their products. A good start. However, they can be better by choosing eco-friendly fabrics like organic cotton instead of conventional cotton. Most people believe cotton is sustainable but in reality, it’s very bad for the planet, is a water-thirsty crop, and is bad for people farming the crop (because of high pesticides and insecticides usage in cotton production), among other things.
- The handbag is from Stella McCartney – a luxury sustainable fashion brand that doesn’t use leather, feathers, or fur in its collections.
- Leather-free Valentino Rockstud sandals – for those who love designer goods but have shunned leather these summer sandals are perfect fit.
