The Role Clothes Play in Plastic Waste
In the world of social media, trends are constantly changing — especially in the world of fashion. Everybody wants to get their hands on the latest viral TikTok dress or their influencer’s favorite pair of shoes. While this is good news for the fast-fashion industry, it comes with serious environmental consequences.
The Problem of Fast Fashion
“Fast fashion” is the push for businesses to churn out trendy clothes as quickly and as cheaply as possible. In order to cut time and costs, these businesses often sacrifice quality, sustainability, and ethics.
Synthetic materials have permeated the market and are used as a cheaper alternative to raw materials like cotton and wool. Materials like polyester, nylon, and acrylic now make up 60% of our clothes worldwide. The manufacturing of these materials generates new plastic waste, contributing to the seemingly never-ending cycle of plastic pollution.
These synthetic garments have an impact on the environment long before they reach the landfill. It’s believed that every time these clothes are washed, hundreds of thousands of synthetic fibers are released into the water supply. When thrown away, these synthetic fabrics end up in landfills, waterways, and oceans. Since they are not biodegradable, they break down into microplastics that are then consumed by wildlife and even humans.
Brands have been slow to look for ways to use responsibly sourced or recycled raw materials to make their synthetic fabrics. As a result, massive amounts of water and electricity are used to produce these plastic-based fabrics from scratch. Conversely, sustainable brands use fewer raw resources to make their materials, resulting in a reduction of energy and water consumption.
Fast fashion is one of the largest contributors to landfill waste. In fact, around the world, one garbage truck of textile waste is discarded every second. We have a responsibility to help save our planet from the dangers of fast fashion by looking for more sustainable clothing alternatives.
What You Can Do About It
Making sustainable wardrobe swaps is an easy way to help reduce your plastic pollution footprint. While it may seem like an expensive change to make, there are many affordable sustainable clothing options that make this lifestyle change achievable.
Source long-lasting pieces
When purchasing fast fashion clothes, you’re not purchasing high-quality products. These items are very cheaply made with materials that quickly show wear and tear. Ultimately, this leads to more clothes in landfills and oceans.
Next time you’re looking for new clothes, shop for high-quality pieces that will last for a lifetime. Not only will you save money long term by not having to constantly replace the item, you’ll also break the cycle of throwaway culture.
Sell, donate, or recycle your old clothes
Avoid throwing your used clothes into landfills and instead give them a second life. Use sites like Poshmark or Depop to sell your clothes to make some extra money. You can also donate your clothes to local charities or thrift stores and give somebody the opportunity to bring new life to the items.
Buy New for You
Rather than buying clothes brand new, shop secondhand at your local thrift store! Not only are these clothes sold at a discount, it gives you the opportunity to keep the items out of landfills.
Prefer online shopping? Check out online thrift stores like Goodfair to shop secondhand from the convenience of your home.
Choose sustainably made products
You can use your wallet to make an impact by purchasing sustainably made products. These products are made with organic materials like cotton or wool, meaning they’re better for our environment.
Some clothing brands even make their items out of recycled materials, like plastic bottles. Take our eco-friendly socks for example! Made with recycled ocean-found plastics, our socks keep plastic pollution out of our oceans while preventing the creation of new plastics through synthetic materials.
5 Best Sustainable Socks for Reducing Plastic Pollution
If you’re ready to make the switch to sustainable clothes, your sock drawer can be an easy place to start! There are plenty of fun, sustainable sock brands that make the switch to sustainable fashion easy and exciting.
Our eco-friendly socks were made with one goal in mind: reducing the amount of plastic waste that ends up in the oceans every day! We do this by manufacturing sustainable socks made with fibers created from 100% recycled ocean-found plastic.
Rather than manufacturing synthetic materials that will only add to our planet’s plastic pollution crisis, we instead make our socks out of threads crafted entirely from recycled plastic bottles.
Not only are we committed to reducing waste, we’re also passionate about educating the next generation for a cleaner tomorrow. Each pair of socks features a unique ocean character that teaches kids about different key parts of ocean conservancy and living sustainably.
Ready to make the switch to sustainable socks? Here are 5 of our favorite eco-friendly socks for you and your family!
Adult Bubble Socks in Blue
As a parent, it’s your responsibility to set a great example for the next generation! What better way than with fun, sustainably made socks that they’ll adore?
Out of all the sustainable sock options, this pair is one of our favorites for adults because it features sea creatures that your kids will love! It’s the perfect opportunity to start a conversation with your little ones about the importance of sustainability.
Shark & Friends Baby Socks (3 Pair)
It’s hard to keep a sustainable closet for babies when they grow so quickly and are constantly changing sizes. That’s why it’s important to find sustainable baby clothing that will help you help the Earth, even when you have to buy a bigger size.
These sustainably made baby socks are the perfect gift for newborns! Made out of recycled plastic bottles, each pair you buy actually keeps plastic out of our oceans. This means the more you buy, the more you’re helping our planet!
Plus, it’s never too early to help your kids save the ocean!
Aquatic Amigos Youth Socks (3 Pair)
Starting a sustainable lifestyle when your kids are young is an easy way to set them up for making sustainable decisions for the rest of their lives.
When purchasing these sustainable kids’ socks, you can have an important conversation with your little one about the lifecycle of a plastic bottle and how shopping sustainably can help save cute ocean animals (like the ones shown on these socks!).
Deep Blue Young Adult Socks (3 Pair)
As teenagers grow up, they look up to the adults around them for guidance. You can inspire young adults to be passionate about sustainability by showing them that even small contributions can have a big impact,
These eco-friendly socks made for young adults are the perfect place to start! When gifting these sustainable socks, you can explain how they were made and the positive impact sustainable fashion plays on our environment.
Ocean Collection Adult Socks (6 Pair)
It’s always a good idea to buy in bulk! These multi-packs of sustainable sock options can last you a very long time, so you don’t have to shop for new socks anytime soon. As a result, you’ll be reducing clothing waste in landfills while lowering carbon emissions from shipping and decreasing packaging waste.
Stop the Plastic Waste Cycle with Sustainable Socks
Fast fashion plays a huge role in climate change and plastic pollution. By incorporating these sustainable shopping practices into your lifestyle, you can help make a big difference for our planet.
It might seem crazy to think that something as simple as your sock drawer can make a difference in our environment, but it’s true! Making the switch to sustainable socks and other sustainable clothing is an easy way to protect our environment.
With eco-friendly socks in sizes for the whole family, Socktopus socks make it easy to teach future generations about the importance of sustainable living. Make the switch to sustainable socks today!
