Hello everyone! Shopping can be tricky; there’s a lot of brands out there and not many of them are truly good for the environment. For this reason, today I will be sharing some tips on how you can shop more sustainably. 

Of course, one of the best ways to shop sustainably is to thrift, which I talked about in another DDG. If you must buy new, make sure that the companies you buy from are as green as possible.

Many items include labels certifying them as “sustainable” or “organic.” While some of these are real, many can be misleading or simply untrue. 

Some labels to look out for are the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) label, Fair Trade Certified label and Rainforest Alliance Certified label. The FSC label ensures zero deforestation and responsible forestry practices while Fair Trade certified recognizes companies that have fair wages and working environments. The Rainforest Alliance (which looks like a little cute frog) supports good agricultural and business practices.

If you’re looking specifically for sustainable textiles, keep your eyes peeled for brands with these certifications.

There are also different levels of these seals, so make sure to watch out for that to maximize your purchasing power. If you check out their websites, you can also see which products and companies are certified so that you know what to look out for.

If you’re looking for specific sustainable brands, there are a lot of brands that claim to be sustainable, but upon further research maybe aren’t the best. One site that I like to use to find sustainable clothing is Good on You, which rates brands based on how good they are for the planet, people and animals. They also rate by price, which is a great tool if you’re on a limited budget.

Good on You also has a list of the 60 most sustainable fashion brands which you can check out here. 

Also, try to buy locally. When you buy from a mom-and-pop store, not only are you supporting local businesses, but you are reducing the carbon footprint of shipping items.

In addition, be considerate of what you buy and how much you buy. In a world of social media and microtrends, it can be easy to give in to overconsumption and buy things you don’t need.

Ban stores like SHEIN and Temu from your shopping dictionary. I know it can be tempting to buy from them since their products are disturbingly cheap, but these companies have a massive carbon footprint and do not contribute to sustainable business practices.

Ask yourself: Will I use this more than once? Do I already have something like this? Am I buying this just because it’s on sale (another dangerous trap)? Is this worth the money?

Make sure you buy things that are good quality so they will last you a while. It’s better to spend more money on one item that lasts than to constantly have to buy a cheaper version because it keeps breaking.

Of course, the biggest drawback of shopping sustainably is the cost. However, the answer to this is simply changing your mindset. Consider the hidden costs of buying unsustainably: contributing to the single greatest threat to human existence. Sometimes the cost isn’t exactly monetary but rather the cost of creating a better existence for future generations. 

If cost really is important to you, buy secondhand or make your own clothes/items. There are plenty of options to shop sustainably, you just need to get creative. Being considerate of what we buy is the best way to show the Earth that we care for her, so I hope you try to do so!

Elena