Realistically Sustainable Living: Ethical and Eco-Friendly Alternatives to Thrift Shopping in India.

Are you someone who wants to live a sustainable life but, for some reason, just can’t buy thrifted clothes? You are not alone.

As someone who is knee-deep into sustainability and trying her best to live a more mindful life, you would assume all my clothes are thrifted, right? No. Unless you count my beloved hand-me-downs, that couldn’t be far from the truth. I do not thrift my clothes…yet. Hopefully, one day I will be able to…but here’s a shocker, there are ways to be sustainable even when you can’t thrift.

I can already see some of you shaking your heads in disappointment and leaving. After all, I am outspoken about the advantages of living a sustainable life and thrifting as a part of that. Let’s go over them before I share my story, shall we?

The Advantages of Shopping Second-Hand

It is more eco-friendly and ethical.

Let’s face it buying something pre-loved means less strain on the resources of our planet. It also means less clothing sent to landfills and less exploitation of workers. At least, that’s my understanding. I would rather wear a pre-loved fast fashion dress than pay the company more to exploit workers.

It is more budget-friendly at times.

Buying second-hand can be easier on the wallet, especially if you are just starting adulting like your girl here. It isn’t always the case, but usually, you can assume that pre-loved clothes cost less than brand-new ones.

Vintage clothes and style, ’nuff said

Look, I love old-timey fashion. I would definitely love to rock an authentic 40s dress or 60s saree. And vintage fashion uses a lot of materials that aren’t sustainable. Thus, it is definitely better to get them second-hand as opposed to buying new ones made to copy that style.

Also, old clothes carry a story, and as a writer and bookaholic, I live and breathe stories.

Yet, I do not thrift my clothes. Is that a lack of wanting to do so? Clearly not. Is that a lack of knowledge? I hope not. So why am I still shopping for first-hand clothing? Well, here are my reasons.

Why I Can’t Thrift- Excuses or Reality?

Why I Can’t Thrift…Yet

While AI will tell you that time spent on research, location, and quality are the reasons I don’t thrift my clothes, my reasons are actually different.

OCD

I have been clinically diagnosed with OCD or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. How does this play into thrifting, you ask? Well, a friend once said she didn’t know who wore the clothes before she did if she is buying second-hand. What kind of skin diseases they had, and if they have diseases that can be passed on? Who knows. Now, I know most of the time, a good wash with some sanitiser does the trick. And before you say it, I have spoken in therapy about not letting my hygiene issue to thing affect my choices…and for the most part, it doesn’t. However, my therapist often says to pick your battles, and one battle I choose not to fight…yet…is with my clothes. When there are sustainable options available, I can take my pick of them. After all, I learned how to balance my needs and wants with that of the people and the planet with a lot of difficulties.

Cultural Factors

Now while I don’t believe in ghosts and spirits, my family does. They also think it is an important way to show love by buying me new clothes on special occasions such as birthdays or Diwali. In our culture, we invite prosperity by honouring what we have. We do this by giving it back to the community in the form of economic exchange. Unless people buy things, our present society will not survive, is what my people say.

Now while in an ideal world, I wouldn’t think culture should be a reason to live an unsustainable life, in the real one, we balance the needs of socialization with our ethics. Most cultures are also inherently sustainable if we truly understand them. Healthy sustainability is all about balance. When I am privileged enough to have other sustainable options, I do not think I need to put my mental health in the blender by fighting my family. It is a fight I am destined to lose anyway. It is much easier to buy fresh yet sustainable clothes. This has the added advantage of introducing them to budget-friendly, sustainable clothing. This way, I get to introduce sustainability in their lives without forcing it and do not hurt their feelings. Plus, if there are ghosts, none are attached to my clothes.

Now, I still say we should thrift when we can. Yet for those of you like me who haven’t reached that point in your sustainability journey, here’s what I do.

Some Sustainable Alternatives to Thrifting

Now since I want to live a sustainable and mindful life, which does the least amount of harm to people, animals, and the planet, here’s what I do.

Buy Factory Discards

You know how all factory-made garments are produced in bulk? Well, often there are pieces which are sent to smaller shops or sometimes even the landfill because they had some error. If you can find shops that sell these, you’re good to go. You’re reducing waste, which is eco-friendly. In India, Relove, is one store I know that carries factory outlet items.

Buy from small, ethical shops…preferably those that work with recycled or upcycled products.

Now, if you can find a small business (or even a large one, I just like supporting small businesses, what with owning one) that gives fair wages to their workers and uses eco-friendly materials, you are making an ethical and sustainable choice.

If they use recycled materials, that’s even better.

Or if like Gift Green India the companies use waste fabric scraps or old clothing to make upcycled products, what’s the harm in that? You are supporting a small business, ethical pay, reusing waste, and reducing the strain on the planet. It’s a great choice! Do check if your particular values are being followed though.

More perks of upcycled clothing? It doesn’t harm animals or people or the planet…one can even argue it doesn’t harm planets either!

Though be wary of recycled plastic clothing- while it reduces waste, it still releases microplastics when worn and washed. Plus, when eventually discarded, they aren’t biodegradable. Companies like I AM SO WASTED try to mitigate that by using circular economy choices such as taking your old clothes in the form of donation and upcycling them. I love this.

Yet the microplastic problem remains.

Now, I have a few lycra dresses in my cupboard because that’s my style and some I bought before I went sustainable. How do I make them as eco-friendly as possible?

I wash them separately from other fabrics, I care for them, and I use them sparingly but for years and years. Remember, sustainable changes only work if you can maintain them long-term. My personal goal is to get the filters and bags that catch microplastic from the wash…though discarding that is still a problem. Yet, if it keeps our waters clean…

Also, always look for trusted third-party certifications such as GOTS. Or you can buy from trusted brands. Brands that have a great Good On You score are a good choice as well. Greenwashing is real.

Mend your clothes and wear them for a while

Here, I would start this point by saying, isn’t it awesome to know your style? That way, you can mix and match the clothes you do have to wear new outfits without buying new clothes. Mending your clothes- if possible, using sustainable materials to mend- or upcycling them helps with this too. With changes in style, old clothes can take a new shape. It’s a good way to make something last for ages, which is, of course, a very green and low-impact.

Let’s learn to stitch and repair together, shall we? Please leave stitching videos in the comments. Your girl needs all the help she can get in that department.

Hand-me-downs, repeating, clothing swaps, mix-matching, and sharing– All kinds of reusing

Now, while my OCD doesn’t let me shop in thrift stores, I can still share clothes with most of my family. I often share dresses and shirts with my sister, as long as they are washed after one of us has worn them, of course. Hand-me-downs from my mom, which I love for this old-time style, are another sustainable option in my wardrobe. I am always eager to share pieces with friends whose hygiene I trust, even if some in my community look down on this practice. They also look down on repeating outfits, another sustainable thing I do, to which I say to each their own. A hack I love for such situations? Mix-and-match! If I wear something I haven’t worn around them or jazz it up with a different jacket or pants, it’s a “new” outfit that is also sustainable. Or, like I said, sustainably shopped new outfits, though that’s not my favourite “hack” as it still means buying more clothes than I need. Do you have any tips for dealing with such situations? Please let me know in the comments.

There are other ways to be sustainable if you can’t thrift. For example, you can make your own clothing from sustainably sourced materials. The above tips and hacks are ones that I use in my everyday life. Let me know what you do to make your shopping sustainable.

P.S.- Do you want to trade names of shops and e-commerce websites in India for good sustainable, and ethical clothing- I have a list! Let’s trade in the comments!

Updated- 13th Nov. 2023.

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