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| Patagonia |
Walking through the mall I am always shocked at the number of clothing stores I walk past. The sheer number of clothing items for sale in a single mall is mind blowing to me. There are usually a handful of department stores providing clothing for all age groups. Then you walk into the main part of the mall only to find more of the same - different brands of course. Do we really need to be selling that many clothes? And if we don't need to be selling that many items of clothing - how much waste are we creating in producing such excess?!
There is waste in materials, waste in energy usage, waste in pollution, waste in people's skills and talents who are making clothing not necessary for our fellow neighbors.
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| Coyuchi |
With this in mind, I have decided to become very conscious of what clothing companies I support and the number of clothing items I have in my closet - because in the end - we don't really need that much!
I started looking for clothing companies that focus on eco-friendly clothes - organic cottons mostly. These companies also follow eco-friendly manufacturing of their products. I feel good about the quality of my clothes and supporting companies focusing on sustainability. I love my pajamas from Coyuchi. I love my sweatshirt from Patagonia.
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| Goodwill |
To take zero waste to another level, we decided to start shopping resale as well. I took my 5 year old to a children's resale store for a winter jacket. She picked out a jacket she loves for $17! My husband needed new jeans (He's been wearing jeans with holes in the knees for over a month.) and got a pair at Goodwill for $8. Now, it was my turn to try out the resale market. I was in need of a sports bra and workout pants. I was able to get a sports bra for $2.29 and athletic pants for $4.29!
Buying resale saved us over $75. We didn't upset our budget and we have our clothing needs met. I feel so great about supporting the resale market, the impact it made on our budget, and ultimately supporting our zero waste lifestyle.
Ok. So when you really think about it, buying tampons and pads is like buying garbage. Literally, you are buying something that you are planning on throwing away! There has to be a better option for our money and the earth!
Then I heard about the Diva Cup. It comes in 2 sizes, can be worn for 12 hours straight, and washed and reused. Sounds awesome and I dove right in.
Size 2 was for those who are 30 years old and/or who have ever had a baby - vaginally or via c-section. That fit my description and I tried it. I was able to insert the Diva Cup with little effort, but then the tricky part came. IT GOT STUCK!
Literally, I couldn't get it out. I tried for 15 minutes to get it out on my own before I decided to get help. The suction was so tight and the cup had moved so far back that I wasn't able to get it out on my own.
After getting the size 2 Diva Cup removed, I decided that maybe it was the wrong size for me. Maybe I needed the smaller size. So I got the size 1 designed for those under 30 and who have never had a baby. I inserted it in the evening and an hour later was able to remove it no problem. So I decided to wear it over night (directions say you can). When I got up in the morning, IT WAS STUCK AGAIN!
It was so far back and the suction was so tight that I couldn't get it out on my own. Deja Vu! Once again after 10 minutes of trying to get it out - which resulted in my feeling nauseous from all the pressure down there - I needed to get help again.
Major bummer! I was so excited to try this method, but it seems it is not the right fit for my body. I will be getting some reusable organic cotton moon pads instead.
