Plastic Free July: 4 ways for the fashion gurlies to get involved

As July begins, our eco friendly echo chamber reminds us we should be minimising our contact with plastic this month. Bye girl.

Following the question we asked ourselves last year ‘Is Plastic Free July a Privilege?’, we’ll be writing about some simple and financially accessible ways to reduce your plastic waste/plastic consumption this month- fashion edition (because we’re a fashion app, obvs).

Plastic Free July Tips

Are you aware of just how much plastic is in your clothes? It’s easy to forget as we imagine plastic as a hard material, but when it’s broken down into micro fibres it can sneak its way into anything.

Did you know polyester can be considered a type of plastic? It’s basically indestructible, just like plastic forks that take years to biodegrade, hence why every plastic fork you’ve ever used is still on earth.

It’s not just obvious materials like polyester- vegan leather is also made of plastic sometimes.

So what are some easy ways we can boycott plastic this July?

How to Get Involved in Plastic Free July

1. Don’t shop online for a month

Online orders come in so much plastic that it’s impossible to ignore the impact your purchase is having on the planet. Simply try and cut out all online shopping for July. You’ll reduce your plastic ‘in-take’ significantly and your consumption too, which is never a bad thing, especially not for the environment.




2. Don’t buy any new clothes…at all

Shock horror, but like - don’t shop…for a month. When you stop viewing shopping as a pastime you start realising you don’t actually need to buy clothes all the time, only when you actually need them.

We don’t have to tell you why buying clothes you don’t need is bad - but if you’re not sure, check out this article.




3. Avoid Polyester, Nylon and other damaging materials

If stopping shopping seems impossible to you, cut out buying items made from materials with high % of plastic, or plastic-like materials such as nylon and polyester. Make sure you’re still buying clothes you love that you’ll wear to death- but stay clear of these harmful materials for as long as you can. Mother nature will thank you.

And yes, we’re aware a lot of vintage clothing is made from these materials. We’re referring to newly made items mainly.




4. Don’t buy from fast fashion brands

Generally speaking all fast fashion brands use unethical materials and lots of plastic packaging for their online orders. Boycotting these brands, even for as little as a month, has a positive impact on the earth. Where you spend your money notifies CEOs of supply and demand, so choosing not to spend your hard earned cash at Shein, Urban Outfitters or H&M is letting the fat cats know: you got standards.

We’re aware that for real change to be made it needs to come from the top, but we’ve got to believe our small actions make a difference, or we’ll go crazy.

That’s a wrap (not a plastic packaged meal deal though) of all our fashion related tips on how you can have a less plastic orientated wardrobe. You’re welcome.