Every year, millions of people around the world are hurt or trapped in bad conditions just to make the cheap products we buy. This includes around five million children. A lot of these products are clothes, and making new clothes is really harmful to our planet.
Did you know that making clothes causes about 20% of the world's water pollution and 10% of the carbon gases that warm our planet? That's more than all the carbon emissions from the entire European Union! For example, it takes 2,700 litres of water just to make one cotton t-shirt. That's enough water for one person to drink for two and a half years!
Most of the clothes we buy, we end up throwing away. Around 85% of textiles are thrown away, which is about half a million tonnes of waste each year. If you wrapped all that waste around the Earth, it would go around seven times! Right now, one rubbish truck full of textiles is either buried in the ground or burned every single second.
When it comes to baby clothes, the waste is huge. Babies grow so fast that they outgrow seven sizes in just their first two years. Making just one baby grow uses 250 litres of water and creates 2kg of carbon emissions. In the UK, 180 million pieces of outgrown baby clothing are just sitting around in homes, not being used. On top of that, new parents spend nearly £1,000 on baby clothes in the first year alone!
Image credit: Shutterstock.com/Tilialucida
Toys also add to the problem. More than half of children’s toys (61%) are not even played with, and 52% of parents think there’s too much packaging on toys. Another 56% feel that toy prices in shops are too high.
So, what can we do? Second Hand September is a chance to make a difference. By buying second-hand clothes, toys, and other items, we can help reduce waste, save water, and protect the planet. Plus, it can save you money, too!
You have probably heard of Vinted and Depop – just a couple of sites you can use to buy and sell used clothes. There are other places online such as Facebook Marketplace which can be used to buy and sell all sorts of used items, but always make sure the accounts you are speaking with are real people!
Charity shops are a great way to get rid of the things you no longer want whilst giving someone else a bargain purchase. The great thing about charity shops is that the cost of the item you donate goes to a great cause – it’s a three way win!
If you are into crafts and DIY, you could also consider making your unused items into something else that you would use. You could cut a pair of jeans that are too short into a pair of denim shorts, you could make a fancy dress costume out of old clothes, or even use the packaging in the recycling for a rainy day craft session!
Challenge yourself to changing your buying and disposal habits this Second Hand September. You could surprise yourself with the money you save and the good feeling you get when looking after our environment.