Minimising waste this Second Hand September

My name is Drew, at the time of writing this I am an apprentice in the Waste Prevention team at the Council however, by the time this is published I am sadly no longer part of this team. It only felt right to write one final blog on Second Hand September and the ways in which we can minimise our waste for a whole month, if this September is the first time you engage in actively trying to reduce your waste you can quickly see how easy it will be to adopt this way of living for every month after September. Waste doesn’t just need to be reduced for one designated month a year, it needs to be at the forefront of everyone’s minds 12 months a year, every year.

Second Hand September, created by the charity Oxfam is a campaign in place to tackle the waste produced because of fast fashion, on the topic of fast fashion my first blog was written on the impact of fast fashion to read that, click here.

The campaign albeit referring to fast fashion, can also relate to other aspects of shopping that aren’t labelled as fast fashion. You can easily and efficiently find pre-loved items such as homeware, children’s toys and ornaments when shopping second hand. An easy way to do this is by visiting our Aston Clinton and High Wycombe HRC where you can look in our Reuse shop, all items being those no longer in need by their owners but still have life left in them. Little things like visiting reuse/charity shops are significant in being the catalyst for turning people towards second hand buying.

Shopping second hand not only protects the environment but is also an effective way to save money, where items are cheaper but still in the condition or similar condition to what it would be if you purchased it firsthand. Buying a second-hand pair of jeans instead of buying a new pair could save over 30kg of CO2 equivalent which is the same amount used to make 600 cups of tea.

Throughout my life, I have seen a significant change in the ways in which my age group perceive second-hand shopping, having come from a family where growing up the older generation regularly shopped at charity shops, I held a positive perception of buying items second-hand especially when there is a cause attached to the shop in which you are buying from. However, most of the individuals in my year had negative perceptions of buying second-hand, the main perceptions being that it labelled you as being ‘poor’, this meant myself and, I can guarantee others felt the same, began to associate these actions with the negative connotations. Being easily led, at such a young age meant for years afterwards, I still had the association.

Since leaving school, the perceptions of those I went to school with have changed and my age group are now the ones who utilise Vinted the most and actively engage in finding items from ‘thrifting’, even though they may not have the environmental impact of their second-hand purchase as the reason behind the purchase they are still contributing to a more sustainable approach and minimising the impact fast fashion is having.

Moving forward to adopt new ways of living that mean you actively engage in ways to reduce your waste you can do any of the following. Stop shopping for trends, trends in fashion are designed to quickly go out of popularity meaning the purchase in months’ time will become a dust gatherer in your wardrobe. A given, is to prioritise second-hand over the purchases of new items. Take care of what is already pre-existing in your wardrobe, this will mean fewer purchases at all will be needed. when buying second-hand, still instil the idea of quality over quantity, clothes are an investment and when chosen correctly you can gain years from your investment. Don’t fall into the trap of buying new clothes for occasions, such as going out. Utilise what you have in your wardrobe, because no one will care if you repeat outfits. Mix and match what you already have in your wardrobe to create new looks each time. Something as small as that, can help to reduce waste and break the narrative many people subconsciously have of needing a new outfit every time an event or gathering happens.

Remember that the waste doesn’t just start with you either, when we talk about waste we look at the holistic journey of the item including the waste produced because of manufacturing, the waste produced during transportation and the avoidable plastic waste your product will be delivered in. Steps need to be taken at each stage and changing the ways of big organisations is incredibly hard, meaning that unfortunately more pressure for change needs to be put onto the consumer.

This September, look through your wardrobe and anything you haven’t worn in the last year is a sign you won’t wear it in the next 4 months, donate them or resell them and give the item you once loved a new sense of love from someone else.

If you have followed my blogs over the last year, thank you. I’d hope you think of what I have written next time you think about buying something new.