How to Live in Lighter Ways
Would you like to tread lightly on the Earth? Read some practical tips on reducing your waste while supping or fashion shopping.
“Tread softly upon the earth as the faces of the unborn look up at you”. — James Cameron
If you’re a western prosperity child, have you ever thought about the chain of events happening before you purchase, consume or travel? Take a simple takeaway coffee. To make the cup, the paper has to be made (from tree waste or bamboo), the factory uses energy, the coffee beans are grown in an Asian or Latin country and shipped to coffee roasters, who send it to the cafe. They pour your coffee in 30 seconds, 45 seconds later you’re on the street supping your coffee, oblivious to this vast energy chain.
What Happens Next?
You chuck it in the bin, where it goes to landfill, mingling with the 2.7 million other cups Australians throw away each day.
Responsiblecafes.org says, “About 9 out of every 10 disposable cups (including compostable) and single-use containers end up in landfill or littered on our streets and waterways.”
A University of Melbourne page says, “Disposable coffee cups are not recyclable at University of Melbourne campuses… This is because they contain a plastic inner layer which is too difficult to separate from the paper cup during the recycling process.”
This uni suggests to go for reusable cups, and even offer a free ‘Green Caffeen’ coffee cup system.
At University of Queensland, their system includes a discount when bringing a keep cup, ranging from 10 to 50 cents. Buy a keep cup from campus coffee shops or (if not a student) from a range of responsible cafes.
Look out for compostable cups or cutlery, but this is only useful when you actually compost them yourself — landfill & waste bins doesn’t mean compost. I put one marked compostable in my compost and it’s taking its time, but I have faith it will break down.
So think about where your favourite drink cups come from, and where it goes afterward. Milkshake containers also contain wax linings.
Fashion is a Passion, but I Now Choose Slow Fashion
My five-decade life has been a series of skirts, blouses, pants, t-shirts and shoes in a myriad of colours and pastels. My first clothing memory is as a 4-year-old insisting on not wearing a pink & black skirt until I found a matching top. I’m sorry Planet, for my early lifestyle; it was not light.
Sustainability UQ says: “In Australia, we send 85% of the textiles we buy to landfill every year. In fact, Australia is second-largest consumer of new textiles after the US, averaging 27 kilograms of new textiles per annum.” Let’s try to reduce that, eh?
Watching a French news story, I was shocked as the reporter stood over a mound of new discarded clothes, in the Atacama Desert, Chile. Clothes here are also burnt daily. About 130,000 tonnes of unsold clothes come in to Iquique Port from Europe, America and Africa per day (46 million last year), including high designer fashion. In the city, they are sorted into what can be reused, some distributed or sold at local markets.
But, MORE THAN HALF end up in the desert, burnt or taking 100+ years to break down. Non-reusable synthetics make up a lion’s share of the pile. See a shocking picture of it at National Geographic. This also happens in Ghana and other places where they earn money from taking unwanted clothes.
What Can You Do?
Activist group ‘Slow Fashion Movement’ asks us to stop our clothing buys for a period of one month. While alone it’s not enough, it’s a good start —one that may lead to a permanent change in the pledger. Get in on the pledge for Slow Fashion Season 2024.
They say the fashion industry is responsible for huge quantities of water consumption (32 million Olympic swimming pools per year) and Carbon emissions (the fashion industry contributes 8% of global greenhouse emissions). (SFM).
Mostly I use Op Shops to buy casual clothes. For the rest, some suppliers are better than others. Cheap fashion companies such as H&M have recycling initiatives where consumers can recycle used clothes to prevent them from going to landfill. They recycle it into new clothing.
For fancy events, you can go to vintage or vintage designer stores, secondhand markets — or swap clothes with friends— which are all low-impact and more affordable.
Where to Get Vintage Clothes, Unsold Items, or Dress Hire
Melbourne: Vintage Threads is a main street store.
Charity ‘Thread Together’ saves unsold clothing in Australia from landfill. They partner with charity organisations like Anglicare WA and Anglicare SQ (Brisbane), providing a mobile wardrobe service too. Get yourself a new bargain.
Dress Rental: Places like HerWardrobe (formal dress hire), Glam Corner, Runway Collection, or The Birdcage Stylist offer some chic styles.
These are a better choice than the myriad of fast fashion importers, e.g. Shein, Temu, Ali Express, eBay reseller, etc. Thanks for considering your consumer choices and also saving money in the process.
Sources:
UQ Sustainability https://sustainability.uq.edu.au/projects/recycling-and-waste-minimisation/choose-slow-fashion-season
‘Focus’, France International News, SBS, 11 April 2024
‘Fast Fashion goes to die in the world’s largest fog desert’, National Geographic, March 2024.
Other sources are as noted.
