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How to have a Sustainable Christmas

Make the festive season more eco-friendly with these top tips from Fashion Revolution founder Carry Somers

If you want to have a conversation with someone about how to navigate the world of fast-fashion, look no further than Carry Somers. As one of the co-founders of Fashion Revolution (the group which came together following the 2013 Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh, where more than 1,000 people died), she’s been heavily involved in spearheading sustainability in the fashion industry. In fact, Fashion Revolution is now the world’s largest fashion-activism movement and works in more than 100 countries. The platform works with citizens, policymakers, unions, non-governmental organisations, brands and retailers to bring awareness and change. Carry herself has won numerous awards for her work and, in 2007, she was recognised by the Queen for her contribution to British business. Here, she tells us how the small tweaks we can make to our festive shopping at this time of year can have an impact on the industry.

On finding the right party outfit

“A polyester dress is something that you might put on once, so think about how likely you are to re-wear an item again before you buy it. Remember, the most sustainable clothes are the ones we already have, but of course, it’s fun to go and have a nosy around the stores! You can find good quality, second-hand items at charity and thrift shops and this is a much more sustainable way of shopping than if you were to buy something new. However, at the same time, there are millions of people out there who rely on the fashion industry, so if you do want to purchase something from a retailer, then start looking at the supply chains.”

On asking the right questions

“Do that little bit of research before you buy: look at a brand’s vendor policy – if you head to their website, you should find it on their corporate responsibility page. Then, see if the brand has goals and if they’re disclosing their progress towards them. Big fashion retailers are really good at talking about their emissions, but sometimes they won’t reveal what they’re doing to achieve them. If you can’t find those goals, then ask the questions. Ask, ‘who made my clothes?’ Send them an email, or use social media. Brands do listen because they want to keep their customers. The chances are, if you demand something, they will take note.”

On giving gifts with sustainability in mind

“When gifting, think about plastic and in particular, plastic toys. Consider whether what you’re giving to your younger niece or nephew will get played with and discarded quickly and if so, gift something with more longevity. Also, bear in mind what your presents are wrapped in. There’s always excess packaging at Christmas that most of the time, isn’t needed. The less you can use, the more you can help to reduce your overall household waste at this time of year.”

On the fashion industry

“It’s moving in the right direction, but not fast enough. Fashion brands are in powerful positions; they’ve got millions of people in their businesses and they have the power and ability to be more responsible by cleaning up their supply chain and taking leadership. The fashion industry emissions are predicted to increase by more than 60 percent by 2030. And, it’s obvious that both the younger and older generations care about where their clothes are coming from, so they’ll need to be innovative with their business models.”