Green Lifestyle: Clothing 101 - Selection

Between a shirt made in China and a shirt made with organic cotton grown here in the USA, which would you choose? Hopefully, the latter. It is simple decisions like this that can lead you to a greener lifestyle.

When shopping for clothes, first look for clothes made in the US. They are obviously shipped a shorter distance than ones from China or some other country which means less fuel and less pollution.

Then look for clothes made organic cotton. Basically, cotton is one of the most dirty agricultural products out there, and these toxic chemicals harm the environment in the most severe of ways. By choosing organic cotton, you are buying cotton that is grown without pesticides, herbicides, and other toxic chemicals that are known as harmful to both humans and the planet.

Lastly, try to find clothes that are made of recycled and/or reclaimed materials. Nowadays there are many companies that manufacture jeans, T-shirts, and accessories out of old denim and refurbished leather.

All these tips about clothing ensure that you are making the least amount of impact on the planet. We are a consumer society and our shopping habits and preferences can change the outcome of industry. We choose what we want and in turn we, in a way, control the "demand" part of supply and demand. Supply changes when demand changes.

Green Lifestyle: Clothing 101 - Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle

Now, you just bought a brand new 100% organic cotton t-shirt and are itching to flaunt it off. You do so. And do so, and do so, and do so for however long. Then, like all other clothing items, it starts wearing out and soon enough you're itching to get rid of it.

Instead of throwing away that precious o-cotton, think about reusing, repurposing, or recycling it. There are several ways to do this, here are some:

1. Donate - If the clothing item is in decent enough shape, consider donating it to Goodwill or the Vietnam Veterans of America. (I prefer the Vietnam Vets over Goodwill because they donate those clothes to the vets and their families directly.) For Goodwill, you can drop of your donation at any store and for the Vets, you can schedule a pick-up via their website.
   


2. 3R - Crafty with the needle? Then repurpose those battered up clothes, especially if they're not decent enough to donate. You can do the 3R's (Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle) of clothing by just doing this simple step. Also, it can be guaranteed that you'll be the only one wearing that repurposed hybrid o-cotton shirt.
   
3. Alternative Uses - If your clothes are way too tattered to do any of the previous two ideas, consider turning that shirt or blouse into a dust or wash rag. Why buy specialized rags at the store when you can save money by recycling your old clothes? Those beaten shirts work well when detailing the car as well.

All in all, don't throw away your old wardrobe without taking a quick peek at them and possibly give them a renewed chance at life. It's one less thing to clog the landfill.

Hello!

Hey there! So this is my first post on my blog dedicated to the "Life in Green" and my perspective on living an environmentally and ecologically conscious lifestyle.

Here I will blog about various ways and ideas for leading realistically sustainable lives. I am not here to rant about Climate Change or Global Warming; my focus is on the solutions, not just the problems. You do not have to be a tree-hugger nor a skeptic to follow these ideas and lifestyles. My expectations are for you to perform or attempt to try any one of my ideas or advice. If you do, we have created a better future.

"Dripping water hollows out stone, not through force but through persistence." -Ovid