To be bothered by how much we consume as a society...

[Cakelesswonder]

Don't get me wrong I love a retail therapy session but today just felt utterly gluttonous in the amount of ads for Black Friday, the 'deals, I couldn't move for emails offering me 20% off lots of things I don't need. I'm not suggesting everyone knits their own yogurt and lives like Mormons but I really feel we don't have the resources on Earth to keep consuming, throwing and consuming like we do. Everything is disposable, straws, clothes, we buy water in bottles then throw them away polluting the oceans and planet for ourselves and future generations. I have no idea what the overall solution is but it really got to me today .

It's something to do with the fibres in the wood pulp.

www.greenbiz.com/article/if-all-paper-cannot-be-made-100-recycled-fiber-what-should-we-use

Without virgin wood pulp, the broken down fibres in recycled paper are too short and paper doesn't hold together.

This isn't good news either.

Wasing microfibre and fleece clothing causes worse pollution than microbeads. 😱

The fast fashion industry is one of the worst polluters on the planet.

www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/28/stella-mccartney-calls-for-overhaul-of-incredibly-wasteful-fashion-industry

badlad Totally agree with you on shopping.

Living here in America I hear all the time of the looming pension crisis. Meanwhile $3bn is spent annually on people buying a cup of coffee.

Fast fashion drives me nuts.

So paper is ok, if we a) recycle all we can and b) get it from sustainably managed forests in the first place.

That's not good news on the fleece washing though. Nor on the "throwaway" nature of fast fashion. It seems that's what most people want though - cheap clothing that can be replaced each season.

People laugh at me for the fact I'm not remotely fashionable, and I wear my clothes into the ground. I'm currently wearing a 10 year old skirt and about to put on a coat that's about 14 years old to go out! But in environmental terms that's a win...

I'm currently wearing a 10 year old skirt and about to put on a coat that's about 14 years old to go out! But in environmental terms that's a win...

Likewise, I'm still wearing clothes I bought before I got married 20 years ago! I simple refuse to buy the cheap rubbish that only lasts a few wears. I don't give a toss if I'm seen wearing the same outfit that I wore at the works Christmas do a few years ago. My works clothing is exactly the same this week as it was last year, five years before that, etc. Buy quality and it lasts for years.

I'm a bit confused on the cheap clothing, I never spend much and it lasts for ages. I've never been to Primark or that kind of place because I hate shopping and never go to big busy stores. But clothes last ages generally and if they are more expensive I imagine a lot of the time that's about the label rather than good quality?

The thing is that most people today are shopping in places like Primark. The clothes look great for about a year and then need to be replaced. If you spend 10-15% more you get clothing that will last 3-5 years. If you spend double you get something that will last 10+ years. Cheap clothes is not economical for your budget or the environment in nearly every experience I have had.

Actually I disagree that spending more money on clothes results in better quality items: the quality of cotton overall has decreased hugely in the last few years and I find even expensive things shrink and become misshapen after not many washes. Also, the 'high' of shopping is quickly replaced by a low of realising what you've spent and the item completely losing its shinyness because you have acquired it.

What we really need to tackle is the constant bombardment via media that what we have isn't good enough and indeed who we are isn't good enough but needs enhancing through xyz product.

Actually, the same sweatshops produce clothes for Primark/Topshop/some "designer" shops - the markup in Primark is just lower.

I have clothes from there that have lasted for years. I do love sewing, charity and vintage shops though - I'm trying to buy hardly any new clothes atm. Would defo recommend that documentary The True Cost on Netflix.

Primark stuff primarily comes from China. The stuff I buy tends to come from east European countries, India and South America.

Is that better than China?

The main problem we have with clothing, is clothing has become disposable, driven by the fashion industry.

I don't think the price factor is the main player in this or even the quality. We aren't buying new clothes because we need them, but because we want them - this is the same if you are spending £2 for a t-shirt from Primark or £150 for a t-shirt from Harvey Nics .

The driving force behind the consumption/replacement/desire cycle is the same. We want more, we are dissatisfied, we want to be current and trendy etc.

Even if many clothes were to be better quality, cost more, and "last longer" we would still want to replace them as they become old and off trend. So they would still end up in landfill and charity shops (the rubbish dumps of the over privileged).

But the issue with clothing is the man made fibers mixed with natural (bio degradable). Not the fact people want the latest colours and styles.

If fabrics were 100% cotton, bamboo, wool or leather those would biodegrade and create richer soil for growing new things in.

Try and find a pair of socks that are 100% cotton even expensive jeans the cotton is mixed with stretchy stuff.

I like to think my 10 year old clothes are still fashionable. They are classic cuts that suit me. My body changed after children but I just got my dresses altered.

I have had one dress which was very expensive for over 15 years. It's timeless. I wear my grandmothers clothes. I think I have a lot of clothes but that is because I work and I need different types of clothes to wear when I am with the children.

I agree, Rebecca, even most cheap clothes could last for several years if they were well looked after. But because they are so cheap, many people view them almost as disposable. We are all supposed to want the latest trend.

Oh and this time of year, people are all expected to buy new "partywear". Because of course you can't go out wearing the same thing you wore last year! . I can't understand this attitude - surely if you buy an item because you like it and it suits you, why wouldn't you want the opportunity to wear it again?

And yes, Avoiding, it is becoming much harder to find clothing made from natural fibres these days.

If you have a library of things near you it's a good answer to the 'I need a tile cutter' issue: www.libraryofthings.co.uk/

Or set one up! (I have no idea how much work that would be :))

Some more expensive clothes last longer, it can be a label, or it can be down to quality, depends what you are looking at.

While Boden gets sneered at, the quality has traditionally been very good (I say traditionally, as I haven't bought anything from them for over a year), and I have things that are 8/9 years old from there that I've washed and worn over and over, yet still look relatively new.

The biggest problem I have is keeping my body shape the same as 8/9 years ago to still fit in them... I must say not being able to afford to replace everything in one go is a good incentive to diet, I've creeped up a bit weight wise and suddenly my wardrobe has become very limited. I'm determined to slim back down while it's only an inch or so to go, but then others might take an attitude of replacing with cheap clothing that doesn't last long and needs replacing again in a year.

That looks great, Fish - wish we had one near us!

Some more expensive clothes last longer, it can be a label, or it can be down to quality, depends what you are looking at.
But that doesn't mean we WANT them for any longer or wear them for any longer. They may get replaced just as quickly as the cheap stuff - because it is mostly desire to consume driving our purchase of clothes rather than need.

I can't understand this attitude - surely if you buy an item because you like it and it suits you, why wouldn't you want the opportunity to wear it again?
Because there is an entire multi billion pound industry telling you new is better, old sucks.

invisible I get stuff altered all the time. Even high end designers sell cloth (mainly meant for men's suits) which can be used for panels to expand things if necessary.

I did buy new dresses when I was pregnant but they were worn through 3 pregnancies and now I'm done I'm having them altered to make them non maternity.

Rebecca, I think I must be an advertiser's worst nightmare! I watch most adverts thinking "no, don't need that, no thank you, what would I need one of those for?" etc.

This bothers me, too, but the most important changes we can make just aren't palatable to most people. I know somebody mentioned how having kids is the worst thing you can do, environmentally, but I'm not going to go there on Mumsnet. :D

The second thing is to eliminate meat and dairy from our diets, but how many people would entertain that idea? It's so bizarre to congratulate oneself on recycling food packaging after cooking lamb casserole for them and their three kids.

Eating meat and dairy is worst for the environment than driving a car. By a long shot. Think where recycling food packaging comes on that scale?

Good point Dailymailrwaders - I think the reduce approaches are the best and make it more palatable. For instance we used to have a cooked breakfast 1-2 times a weekend. We’ve reduced it now to a few times a year and Dh doesn’t feel too hard done by.