Do this |
Because |
|
| Find alternatives to cotton | Easier
said than done, but cotton production uses a lot(!) of water and a
lot(!) of pesticides. Other materials may be much better. At least
choose organic cotton to reduce the pesticide use. Hemp and linen may
be good alternatives to cotton. | no comment yet |
| Hang dry clothes | It is easier on the environment and on your clothes to hang-dry them rather than using the electric dryer. | significant |
| Spin-dry clothes | Use a spin-dryer to get the last bit of water out of your laundry
before you put it in the clothes dryer, or even better hang it on the
line to dry. Drying times are significanly reduced. Google: spin dryer. | significant |
| Avoid white or black clothes |
Unless
you are a baker or chimney sweeper, you have to wash white or black
clothes much more often because dirt or dust shows on them much sooner.
Washing clothes requires energy and creates pollution, more if you use
hot water.
|
noticeable |
| Avoid clothes that need dry cleaning. |
Dry
cleaning means essentially cleaning the clothes with solvents rather
than water. Most of the dry cleaning facilities use
tetrachloroethylene, a carcinogenic chemical that eventually ends up in
the atmosphere and soil. The solid and liquid left-overs of commercial
dry-cleaning are hazardous wastes that need to be stored safely. There
are some newer, safer methods, but it is probably best to buy clothes
that do not need dry-cleaning. |
noticeable |
| Try hand-washing |
If
you are willing to experiment, careful hand-washing often cleans a
"dry-cleaning only" garment just fine. Has always worked for me. Even
hanging it in a rain storm may be enough without destroying the piece.
Do that your own risk though. I do not know what you are wearing! |
significant |
| Buy used clothes |
Not
everyone can do it (and if everyone did it it would not work), but for
the moment, buying used clothes delays their ending up in the landfill
for a while and it reduces pollution. If you share clothes with an
unknown stranger, less have to be made, transported, distributed, etc. |
not enough |
| Purchase clothing and shoes made from recycled fabrics |
Recycled
fibers are gained from recycling plastic items such as soda bottles.
Recycling only works if the products made from recycled materials are
purchased by enough people. You pollute less because less new material
has to be made. |
noticeable |
| Keep clothes for a long time |
Clothes
you can keep wearing for a long time need to be durable. They also
cannot be fashionable because they will be out of style tomorrow.
Buying clothes that last long reduces the need for production and
reduces pollution. |
not enough |
| Give clothes away |
Give
them away for others to use if they are still in good shape. That way
you share your clothes with another person and you reduce pollution by
reducing production. |
noticeable |
