Give your clothes a second chance
It's quite a challenge; In the current time, when many (clothing) stores are struggling with the corona measures, we are starting the Week of Second-hand Textiles (WvTT). But you could also turn it around: perhaps this is the time to see how we can deal even more responsibly with clothing that is no longer worn? And not the clothes that are broken or worn out, but the clothes that stay in the closet because there is a new fashion or it no longer looks nice. Just as this seems to be the time to look at how we want to travel more sustainably in the future, this should also be the time to look at more sustainable clothing in a different way.
Because, don't be alarmed: to make one pair of jeans, for example, between 7 and 8 thousand liters of water to be necessary. And then we haven't even mentioned the chemicals needed to dye the pants the right color. It is therefore a pity that, with some exceptions, the recycling of clothing has not yet taken off as we know it from waste paper, plastic or electronics. Although the first tentative steps in the right direction have already been taken by some clothing manufacturers.
However, it is not solely the manufacturer's responsibility. The solution to this problem, as is so often the case, is to change concrete behavior among consumers. If you wash your clothes less often or buy fewer clothes, you are also being more sustainable. There is also a need to strengthen the right norms and values, and to change the mindset of consumers.
And then it suddenly becomes very close: because what can you do yourself to prevent, for example, a new clothing line being introduced a few times a year to meet the wishes of the consumer? How do you ensure that clothes that are no longer fashionable end up in a garbage bag? You can give clothing that you no longer wear a second life and thus contribute to a more sustainable society. Perhaps a targeted public campaign can help with this. We think the time is right for that.
More information about the Week of Second-hand Textiles (WvTT) and the activities organized this week can be found at https://www.weekvantweedehandstextiel.nl/, an initiative made possible by the Salvation Army.
