How to reduce textile waste in your wardrobe

Did you know that the fashion industry is one of the biggest polluters on our planet?

The average consumer throws away about 30 kilograms of clothing per year. Globally, textile waste adds up to 13 million tons each year. Even though 95% of textile waste could be reused or recycled, 85% of all textiles are still sent to landfill each year.

With climate change upon us, we want to take the time to learn what we can do to reduce textile waste in our wardrobe. Here is our breakdown.

Preventing textile waste starts with buying less. The key to making this happen is prolonging the life of the clothes that you already own. This involves taking good care of your garments.

Dedicate some time to learning how to properly maintain your items. Make sure you wash your clothes according to their washing instruction label. While you're at it, find out whether you need to treat them with any special products. Some brands have a dedicated Product Care page on which you can find all the info to make your life easier and your garment last longer.

When you love something and wear it loads, it will inevitably show wear and tear at some point. Assess the situation and see if you can fix these imperfections by mending fabric tears, reattaching buttons, or putting on new soles on your leather shoes.

Investing in a small mending kit or having something repaired will ultimately be cheaper than buying new clothes. And you're preventing waste while you're at it!

Do you have a beautiful dress that just doesn't fit you anymore? Or do you find yourself not wearing an item because its design is just not working for you? Don't part ways with it just yet.

There are a bunch of YouTube videos out there that show you how to upcycle clothing. Get creative by cropping old jeans into shorts, creating a dress out of a big men's shirt, or refashion a skirt into a cute top.

If you don't have a sewing machine - don't fret. Simply add ''no sew'' in the search bar for easy, sew-free clothing revamps.

One man's trash is another man's treasure...

When you're getting rid of clothing that still looks good, there's no reason to throw it in the trash. Perhaps other people would love to wear your unwanted items. Organize a clothing swap with friends or family members, or look for an organized one in your area. Some bigger cities regularly host a clothing swap. Have a look at Facebook events and there might just be one coming up. And a bonus: you may go home with a couple of new items as well!

If you don't have access to a clothing swap (or if your circle just has a very different sense of style 😉), you can donate your clothes to local charities that hand them out to people in need.

Another option is donating your clothes to the thrift store. Perhaps someone will give it a second life there.

''But what if my clothing piece can't be fixed or worn anymore?''

Your clothing piece might be beyond repair... But that doesn't mean it can't serve another use. Get creative with recycling!

You can cut up old tees into reusable cotton rounds or cloths you can use for cleaning and polishing. This article has 15 other ways of reusing old fabric.

As a final resort, you can also bring worn-out textiles to the clothing recycling bin.

Lastly, reducing textile waste all comes down to consuming less. You can't throw things away that you don't have 😇

That's why it's important to choose high-quality items made from sustainable materials that will last you for years.

Research has revealed that 35% of microplastics in oceans come from clothing.

Did you know that garments made of polyester, nylon, acrylic, and other synthetic fibers shed tiny pieces of plastic when they are washed? These fibers leach into the environment through our sewage systems and contribute to the ocean's plastic pollution problem.

Two tips to prevent this: 1) wash your clothes only when necessary, and 2) put synthetic laundry in a Guppyfriend Washing Bag which will filter out the microplastics.