We’re keeping it conscious this holiday season and as we go into 2022. We like a sustainable new years resolution. With Australians sending 800 million kilograms of unwanted clothing to landfill every year, we spoke to Alexis Todorovski from SCRgroup, Australia’s largest and most innovative business for clothing recovery, about her top ten tips to stay sustainable this season:

1. For your next big event, when your automatic thought is "I need to buy a new outfit!", look into renting an outfit instead - or, consider borrowing something from a friend. Often outfits purchased for special occasions don’t get worn much and sit untouched in wardrobes before they are inevitably thrown away.

2. Make your mum and dad proud, and learn how to mend and alter your own clothes. Mending or upcycling clothing is an easy and satisfying way to prolong the life of your clothes or to change them up and make them feel new again. (Of course if sewing isn’t your bag, taking clothing to an alterations shop is the next best thing!)

3. Follow the garment care instructions to wash, clean and store your clothes the right way. From cold washes to caring for your woollens to washing your jeans inside out, making the conscious effort to care for your clothes will ensure they stay their best for as long as possible.

4. Sell your unwanted clothes online or at a local market place. One person’s trash is another person’s treasure, so don’t be afraid to put your unwanted clothes out there for others to find. 

5. Get your friends together and bring your unwanted clothes and have a swap party. Trade your clothes with your friends will ensure that they end up with someone who will appreciate them and use them. 

6. Shop like the French and invest in high quality, trans-seasonal clothes that will remain stylish. Avoid statement trend pieces or impulse purchases that will date quickly and won’t get a lot of wears.

7. Change your shopping habits and start looking into second hand clothing stores and resale websites. The amount of resources required for second hand and vintage clothing is zero, whereas every new piece of clothing requires a substantial amount of non-renewable, natural resources to create.

8. Donate your unwanted clothes to charity or drop them off at a SCRG collection hub where they will be sorted and re-homed into local and international communities that need them the most.

9. Get crafty and re-purpose your unwanted clothes into other useful items such as face masks, tote bags, gift wrap or cleaning rags.

10. Refurbish or up-cycle your household items instead of throwing them away. 

scrg.com.au