July is Sustainability Month!

I just opened an email from a company I purchased bedding from notifying me that July was sustainability month. If you're wondering what linens have to do with sustainability, let me connect the dots.

Fast fashion = mass produced, low quality, short lived fabric items including clothing and home goods. This point can be illustrated by my former love, forever 21, which may be filing for bankruptcy soon! I used to love the items from this store. Fashionable, affordable, on trend and even inclusive of many body types. The heartbreak I encountered was when my favorite pieces only lasted a handful of washes… if that. So, the cute top I just HAD to have, and all of the people and systems that produced it, from production which is rarely if ever ethical or sustainable, synthetic materials which when washed, experts now say, send particles of plastic into our water systems and commonly wind up in the water, produce and animals we consume.

Where do most of the fast fashion cute tops of the world end up? Landfills. A better option for the aesthetically conscious would be to donate all clothing and home items that are still in good condition so they might have another life in someone else’s closet. Some companies like H&M even accept donations of fabric and damaged items to use in their sustainable line. New sustainable recycling programs are evolving each day. I suggest googling what programs are operating in your area if you’re interested in getting involved. Home bodies, I’ve got sustainability ideas for you too. This past week I recycled my veggie scraps by re-growing and pickling scraps of fennel all from the peacefulness of my own kitchen windowsill.

Until next time, take good care of yourselves and one other ❤️