These lovely info/illustrations on tips to stop climate change were created for the BBC Radio Four, BBC Sounds series, 39 Ways to Save The Planet, in partnership with the Royal Geographical Society.
39 Ways to Save the Planet looks at the brilliant methods that people are using to reverse the effects of climate change. But while climate change is absolutely a global issue, that doesn’t mean that individuals are powerless in the fight to help the environment.
To help you help the planet, we’ve got some tips from environmental scientist Dr Tara Shine, author of the book How to Save Your Planet One Object at a Time. “As part of our ‘Climate Solutions’ collaboration with The Open University, we’ve turned these tips into five illustrated examples of how you can make an environmental difference”.
How to Fight Climate Change in Fashion
Do Less Laundry
Illustration by Dandy Doodlez (@dandydoodlez)
Hate doing laundry here’s the perfect opportunity to do less.
More than 60% of the world’s clothes are made from synthetic fabrics. In every wash, they shed plastic microfibres that end up polluting our oceans…even finding their way into some of our seafood.
What’s more, washing machines and dryers use a lot of energy – Raising our household bills and our carbon footprint. So why not do less and relax instead?
5 Top Tips:
1. Wash your clothes less! Spot clean stains rather than washing the whole garment (also extend the life of your clothes). Air your clothes outdoors to get rid of odours. Fresh!
2. Hang washing out to dry naturally.
3. Wash full loads
4. Use cooler temperatures (30°C)
5. Consider a mesh bag designed to catch those pesky microfibres.
Don’t just throw your old shoes away
Illustration by Kingsley Nebechi (@kingsleynebechi)
Would you rent a pair of shoes? Tips for treading lightly on the planet.
Over twenty billion pairs of shoes are sold each year. Many are made of synthetic materials and are worn just a handful of times before being thrown away.
Some shoes can take as long as one thousand years to break down in landfill, so they could still be there in the year 3021! How many pairs are you donating to the next millennium?
5 Top Tips:
So how can you step out stylishly but tread more lightly on the planet?
- Recycle or donate pre-loved shoes (many brands have shoe recycling programmes).
- Research before you buy – More sustainable brands are on the market!
- Borrow (or rent) a pair for special occasions.
4. If you’re feeling active, why not put your trainers to new use by ‘Plogging’ – The Swedish-inspired workout that combines jogging with picking up litter!
If you enjoyed these handy tips and want to know more about what you can do to make a positive change with your fashion choices. Check out this post on second-hand shopping.
