8 Ways to Green Your Wardrobe

This story is part of Earth911’s “Green Eight” series, where we showcase eight ways to green your life in various areas.

Part of back-to-school time means finding that perfect new outfit. One thing you may notice while shopping this year is more of an emphasis on eco-friendly clothing, whether it’s organic materials or recycled content.

In addition to checking the label, here’s eight ways to make sure that you look good in green this fall season.

1. Be Bag Practical

We use about 380 billion plastic bags and sacks each year, and they are light enough that bags in a landfill can easily be blown into water for birds and sea life to feed on. You can try bringing your own reusable bag(s) when you shop, or simply ask the clerk to make sure each bag is filled to capacity.

That will leave you with less bags to dispose of when you get home, and you can use Earth911 to find out where to recycle plastic bags when you’re done shopping.

2. Embrace the Vintage Look

Though not all used clothing is vintage, with a little work, you can get that perfect look from clothes on their second time around. Buying used clothing saves resources for making new clothes as well as disposing of old ones. You can also make new clothes out of second-hand fabric, such as a denim jacket made from torn blue jeans. Also consider donating clothes you no longer want for reuse; you can find clothing donation drop-offs using Earth911.

3. Repair Before You Replace

A needle and thread carry a pretty small carbon footprint, and they can be used for important maintenance on your clothing. A quick tutorial in sewing can help you:

• Replace buttons
• Mend holes
• Shorten/lengthen pant legs and waistlines

All of these options will help your clothing last longer.

4. Make Your Own Jewelry Cleaner

A part of any wardrobe is accessories, and the center of that is usually jewelry. Rings and necklaces get dirty over time, but you can make your own jewelry cleaner out of household items like ammonia and detergent. This should work for most of your jewels (be weary about using it on your diamond ring or a pearl necklace), but make sure you don’t pour the homemade cleaner down the drain. Use Earth911 to find a drop-off location for this and other hazardous products.

5. Recycle Your Shoes

Rotating multiple pairs of shoes will prolong their lifecycle, but eventually your shoes are going to wear out. In the case of sneakers, they can actually be recycled into athletic courts and surfaces. If you think they feel comfortable on your feet, imagine how comfortable they’ll be to run on.

Second hand stores also except shoes for donation, so if they are still in working order, let someone else give them a try.

6. Wash For Stains and Smells

The average household runs 392 loads of laundry a year. Keep in mind that when you wash clothes, not only are you using energy and water, but each wash shortens the life of your clothing. If your clothes are free of smells and stains after you wear them, why toss them in the laundry pile?

To help keep your clothes going longer, wear older clothes (that can stand to be washed frequently) for activities like working out or washing your car.

7. Give Clothes a Cold Shower

When you do run a load of laundry, using cold water will use less energy. It will also take less of a toll on your clothes since warm water leads to shrinkage and wrinkles. It may not be as effective at removing stains though, so pre-treating stained clothing prior to a wash may be in order.

8. Recycle Your Hangers

Hangers are great for organizing clothes in your closet, but you’ll probably end up with too many at some point. Luckily, hangers are very recyclable so you can keep them out of the trash.

Metal hangers can be recycled as identification number so you know what type you’re dealing with. You can also see if your local dry cleaner will accept hangers for reuse.