Second Hand Clothes

Waste and Landfill Reduction

The increasing prevalence of man-made fibres such as polyester or nylon means many clothes may never biodegrade. Even the natural textiles that do biodegrade produce greenhouse gases as they do so. Dyes and chemicals from textiles can washed into water systems by rain water.

Swapping buying and selling of second hand clothes through websites like posh-swaps.com will help to ease the volume of clothing reaching landfill in the UK each year.

Carbon Footprint of Clothing Manufacture

Manufacture and transportation of textiles and clothing both use valuable fossil fuels and contribute to global warming by releasing Carbon dioxide. The manufacture of many synthetic textiles such as polyester also uses petro chemicals and is particularly energy intensive. As many clothes are manufactured outside of the UK, their transportation and distribution also represents a significant carbon footprint.

Swapping, buying and selling clothes through Posh-swaps.com helps to reduce an individual’s fashion carbon footprint by reducing the number of newly manufactured clothes that are bought. The Posh Swaps Blog promotes eco fashion with natural textiles and locally produced clothing being preferable to synthetic clothing manufactured abroad.

Pollution Caused by the Textile Industry
The manufacture of polyester releases emissions including volatile organic compounds, particulate matter, and acid gases such as hydrogen chloride, all of which can cause or aggravate respiratory disease. Volatile monomers, solvents, and other by-products of polyester production are emitted in the waste water from polyester manufacturing plants. The EPA, under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, considers many textile manufacturing facilities to be hazardous waste generators.

The environmental impact of pesticides used in cotton cultivation is also well documented. This has led to an increase in production of organic cotton but for many the price is still a deterrent in buying organic. Posh-swaps.com offers users the opportunity to indulge in affordable and sustainable style that helps to lessen the impact of pollution caused by textile manufacture. The Posh Swaps Blog also promotes the use of natural and organic textiles.

Fast Fashion – Quantity over Quality

The phenomena of fast fashion have contributed to all of the environmental impacts with consumers buying cheap up to the minute trends then throwing them away after only a few wears. Fast fashion is a result of retailers and advertising creating new trends and low cost clothing that often also has ethical implications.

As well as promoting the swapping buying and selling of second hand clothes to refresh a wardrobe, Posh-swaps.com promotes the concept of individual style over fast fashion. This is the wearing of well made quality clothes that suit an individuals shape, colouring, lifestyle and personality. By developing their own unique style individuals should look and feel great without having to follow the latest trends.