I love resale shopping. There are a ton of flea markets and thrift shops in my hometown to choose from. I made a goal at the beginning of the year to only buy my clothes from resale shops (with the exception of socks and underwear, of course). I’ve done a pretty good job of doing that and after my successful clothing swap party, I’ve got no need to shop at all. I’m going to have to host another one because I have so much left over from the first one.
I’ve talked a lot about shopping resale and for good reason. Everything we buy must be produced and then transported. This uses up lots of water and resources and requires burning fossil fuels for shipping. By opting for gently used clothes, you cut out the entire production process. If more people shopped resale, we could prevent textile waste, shipping and packaging waste, and older clothes piling up in the landfill.
According to Kathryn’s blog nearly 27,000 gallons of water are used to make a single cotton t-shirt. When you think of the amount of resources used to make our clothing which ultimately ends up in a landfill, it’s horrifying. Shopping resale also keeps money in the local economy. I love giving my money to my community instead of a major corporation. By ending the cycle of buying new clothes that are mass produced unstainable and opting for resale, we can lower our carbon footprint. What’s your favorite resale shop?