All aboard for Slow Fashion September

Waipā residents are encouraged to dive into the world of sustainable style, cut down on clothing waste and keep their wallets happy this Slow Fashion September.

Textiles from unwanted clothing are one of New Zealand’s fastest-growing waste streams, with Waipā residents sending the equivalent of 16 shipping containers to landfills each year.

To help combat the impact of fast fashion, Waipā District Council has partnered with sustainability experts to provide free educational online courses during September. These include how to curate a low-waste, low-cost wardrobe, and a sewing repair workshop to give pieces of clothing a new lease of life.

Waste minimisation advisor Shelley Wilson said it’s the third year Waipā is celebrating Slow Fashion September.

“It’s all about learning ways to be mindful of the clothes we purchase and implementing habits to consume less, whether that's deciding to shop second-hand, doing a wardrobe audit or simply unsubscribing from marketing emails,” she said.

“It’s great to be able to help the environment and save money while having fun too.”

The initiative has gained momentum on its mission to slow down our clothing waste, especially with the op shop bus tours proving popular.

“Plus, it’s been great to see other councils take our awesome initiative and create their own sustainable journey,” Wilson said.

Neighbouring councils Waikato District and Hamilton City have also launched slow fashion events throughout September for their communities to get involved with.

This year’s op shop bus tours will travel from Cambridge to Huntly and another from Te Awamutu to Morrinsville. The tours are in partnership with Waikato District Council, which is running a reciprocal tour to Waipā.

Cambridge resident Dianne Gwynne, who attended last year's op shop bus tour, said it was a great day out learning valuable tips from Shelley and Nicola Turner, from Mainstream Green.

“I got to pick up some second-hand gems and have since been inspired to do laundry and mending for a local op shop, which helps put funds back into the community”.

Fast fashion not only impacts the environment but has created concerning consumer behaviours, with alarming global statistics:

• one in three women consider a garment “old” after one wear
• on average 80 per cent of the items in our wardrobes are never worn
• the fashion industry is responsible for 40 million tonnes of textile items going to waste each year.

“It’s important we all do our part, even if it’s just adding one or two new practices into our daily routines. These changes may seem small, but the collective impact is huge for our community and for passing sustainable behaviours to our kids," Wilson said.

To get involved this Slow Fashion September visit: bit.ly/wasteminevents