Posh Swaps Blog

 I have just come across yet another fashion label using recycled materials and clothes to make some very desirable designs. Sew Last Season is the label created by London based designer Elena Garcia. It is dedicated to finding sustainable solutions to the waste created by the fashion industry and recycling or ‘upcycling’ which describes the process of taking something that is being disposed of and transforming it into something that is of greater use and value.

Sew Last Season creates limited edition pieces from excess production clothes such as office shirts. It uses applie surface textiles and low impact dying to create trendy but individual pieces. It use local labour to create the clothes and also works with community groups like HEBA women’s project in Brick Lane, London.

At the moment the label only has menswear collections but plans a women’s wear line soon. They are also working with high street retailers on ways to upcycle their waste.

This week from June 22nd to 28th is Recycle Week. This is an event organised by Recycle Now each annually and is now in it’s fifth year. The theme this year is to waste less and the Recycle  Now website encourages individuals to pledge their commitment to recycling more and saving less. Amongst the suggested ways to reduce waste are reducing textile waste, recycling bottles and cans whilst out and about, home composting kitchen and garden waste, reusing carrier bags and using leftovers for lunch the next day.

We can’t think of any better way of recycling clothes than by selling them or swapping them on posh-swaps.com. It is an easy to use website, free to use and best of all you either get some money or some swapped clothes as a reward for your efforts. You can also recycle your clothes by donating to charity shops and taking to clothing banks. Another great way to recycle clothes is by making them into something new. You can turn old jeans into shorts, shorten a dress or embellish a jacket.

Whilst most people understand the importance of recycling and how it helps the environment, some people need just a little bit more of an incentive than helping the environment to get them recycling. There are so many ways that you can recycle now but did you know that you can actually make money by recycling?

Here are our top ways of making money by recycling:

1. Mobile phones - www.mobilephonerecycling.co.uk allows you to compare prices and get the most for your phone. Mobile phones should not be thrown away in your bin as the batteries contain hazardous substances.  

2. Computers and laptops - find out how much money you can get for your old computer on www.wastecare.co.uk

3. Clothes  - you can sell your old clothes on www.posh-swaps.com

4. Refashion clothes - you can refashion second hand clothes into something new and sell it for a higher value on www.posh-swaps.com

5. Make Jewellery - you can turn waste into beautiful and unusual jewellery to sell at craft fairs or on posh-swaps.com. Old watches and jewellery are a great place to start but there are so many other things you could use. Think creatively.

6. Turn your kitchen waste into compost, bag it up and sell it to your neighbours. Find out how on http://www.composting101.com/

7. Sell just about anything that you don’t want or need any more at a car boot sale, through newspaper ads or online

You just need to think a bit creatively. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure so before you throw something away, think about whether it might be of value to someone else.

Yet more evidence that recycling in the fashion industry is starting to take off. Graduate fashion week is a great indicator of the future of fashion almost certainly some of this years graduates will be the next rising stars of the fashion industry.

I loved Lucie Vincini’s collection of menswear. It had some eclectic and innovative designs but was mor than just a eco fashion novelty. It stood on it’s own merits in terms of wearable clothes and a very cohesive collection. The collection was made of a wide range of recycled materials and included a jacket made from Royal Mail bags and trousers made from plastic bags.

I hope this will inspire people and designers to have a go at making more outfits from recycled materials and second hand clothes is a great place to start. Don’t forget you can sell your outfits from second hand clothes and recycled materials for free on www.posh-swaps.com.

The 3 R’s are used a lot to explain how you can reduce your waste and live a more sustainable life. Of the the thousands of tonnes of rubbish that are produced by UK households and business each year, only a relatively small proportion is recycled. There is still a large amount of waste that ends up in landfill when it could be recycled. In 2006, UK clothing and textiles produced up to two million tonnes of waste, 3.1 million tonnes of CO2 and 70 million tonnes of waste water.  Textiles and clothing is an area where the 3 R’s can be applied very successfully for increased sustainability:

Reduce - buying higher quality clothes in classic styles that will not go out of fashion quickly is a great way to reduce your clothing waste and the environmental impacts associated with the manufacture of new clothes.  Buying second hand clothes is also a great way to reduce your environmental impact.

Reuse - Always look after your clothes and repair them when they get damaged. If you get bored with your clothes or they no longer fit, you can also alter, customise them or rework them.

Recycle - Try swapping, selling or donating your old clothes to charity. If it is no longer wearable you can also take it to a clothing bank and it can be recycled as rags.

Plastic bags are so last year. They never were exactly stylish but as consumers realise their devastating impact on they environment, they have become even less fashionable.

Plastic bags have become a huge problem with over 13 billion used in the UK each year. They can clog drains an dcause flooding and pollute rivers and streams. They can also kill animals and destroy plant life. They have a very short lifespan sometimes only minutes yet they can take a very long time to photodegrade.

 There are so many alternatives to a plastic bag for carrying your shopping in. I particularly like the idea of using a bag made from recycled materials for a really unique and stylish look and double environmentally friendly points.

Here are some of my favourite and very stylish reusable bags or alternatives to the plastic bag.

This Floral Recycled Shopping Bag is made using 100% recycled plastic bottles. It is available in a variety of designs but i love this cool retro style pattern. It is strong and light weight so can easily be rolled up.

If you like bright and colourful, then this shopping bag is for you. These stylish bags are made from recycled juice packs by a womens co operative in the Phillipines. The bags are strong and available in variety of shapes and sizes from large shopping bags to smaller handbags. The juice packets that they are made from contain foil and plastic which is non bio degradable and would otherwise go into landfill or incinerators.

This Re-sail tote bag is the ultimate in recycled and stylish alternatives to the carrier or plastic bag. It is made from 100% recycled sail cloth. Only a few of these bags are made and each one is totally unique.

This reversible vintage tote is made from recycled vintage materials. It is designed and handmade by Pouch. It is fully lined with recycled denim and the straps are made with recycled denim.

What do you do with your beautiful wedding dress once your big day is over? You are very unlikely to wear it again, so why box it up and leave it in the attic to get moth eaten? Here are our favourite ideas for a second hand or worn wedding dress.

1. Dye it, shorten and make it into a prom dress, evening dress or cocktail dress

2. Make it into a christening dress

3. Make it into some gorgeous undies, a camisole or a baby doll nightie.

4. Make it to pretty cusion covers.

5. Use it to decorate a photograph album

6. Sell it on posh-swaps.com

7. Swap it for something completely different on Posh-swaps.com

8. Make it into Christmas tree decorations.

9. Make it into bautiful dolls clothes which you can give as presents to any little girls in your family or sell.

10. Do a good deed and donate it to charity.

For more great ideas on recycling wedding dresses, see this e how video by Julie Barbee of Frocky Jack Morgan.

picture from Flickr

picture from www.craftstylish.com

How to update an 80’s Prom dress - Threadbanger

This post gives detailed instructions on how to restyle an old prom dress so that it looks really up to date. It also allows a bit of your own creativity for a completely unique prom dress. A great idea if you hahen be ve an old dress packed up in the attic, I also wondered whether this could be applied to an old or second hand wedding dress that could dyed to make a very special prom dress.

a Shrug and Skirt Set out of an Old Sweater - Threadbanger

This is a great way to restyle a sweater. The skirt looks quite short but would look good worn with leggings. The shrug would look great with a vest top or a dress.

Board Shorts out of an old suit - Threadbanger

I love this idea, it could also be adapted to use a floral material, or whatever material you like for some different tailored shorts for the office.

A recycled necktie scarf - Craft Stylish

A great way t recycle old silk ties into a gorgeous scarf. You can pick the patterns / colours for the look that you would like to achieve.

Refashion a boring cardigan - Craft Stylish

This shows how to get a plain and boring cardigan and make it into something really different and unique. I love the colours of the cardigan.

Refashioned Blouse - this mama makes stuff

a great way to turn a shapeless blouse into a more fitted style and adjust the sleeves. This post shows how you can change or customise something if you don’t like it.

Refashioned denim skirt - Burda Style

Add new life to a denim skirt. The frills and paint give it a really up to date and cutting edge feel.

Vintage Lace Tank Top - Into the fray

Yet another great idea for making something very ordinary look special. I love the lace used on this one but you could use whatever trim you like.

Embroidered Hoody - Burda Style

A great way to recycle an old hoody. Again this technique could be used for all sorts of things including t shirts and polo shirts. You can really get creative.

Recycle old jeans into sandals - Wikihow

This video made by the thegreengirls.com shows you exactly what to do to make your old jeans into sandals. A great idea for  an old pair of jeans that has worn out and is no longer wearable.

Landfill in the UK is becoming a huge problem. With the drop in the price of recycled products, the issue is what to do with all of the waste that we produce. The breakdown of waste in landfill sites creates huge amounts of the greenhouse gas methane. There are also many products that will not breakdown and will remain in the environment for ever with the potential to contaminate water supplies.

Traid, a charity specialising in the recycling of textiles reports that 900,000 tons of shoes and clothing are thrown away each year in the UK. Only 200,000 tons per year are recycled and the rest is dumped in landfill. The government estimates that similar amounts of between 550,000 and 900,000 tons of textiles are thrown away each year.

In addition to the problems of waste and landfill in the UK, there is also the consideration of the energy used and waste generated by the manufacture and distribution of clothing and textiles. Growth of cotton uses a huge amount of chemical pesticides and environmentally damaging cultivation methods. The manufacture of man made fabrics also has a huge environmental impact with. Demand for polyester the most widely used synthetic fabric has almost doubled in the last 15 years. The manufacture of polyester uses large amounts of crude oil and an energy-intensive process. It releases emissions including volatile organic compounds, particulate matter, and acid gases such as hydrogen chloride, all of which can cause health problems for workers by causing or aggravating respiratory disease.

Second hand clothing is becoming more popular as people begin to recognise the real costs of fast fashion. Consumers are becoming more aware of their buying choices and ways that they can help the environment.

So there are plenty of great reasons to swap clothes. Another great reason is that it is fun, frugal and a great way to try out new looks.

Manufacture and transportation of textiles and clothing both use valuable fossil fuels and contribute to global warming by releasing Carbon dioxide. The manufacture of many synthetic textiles such as polyester also uses petro chemicals and is particularly energy intensive. As many clothes are manufactured outside of the UK, their transportation and distribution also represents a significant carbon footprint.

Patagoniais a company that leads the way in environmentally responsible clothing manufacture. Not only does it use a number of environmentally friendly fibres including hemp, bamboo and organic cotton for their outdoor and sports clothing, but they also actively promote and facilitate the recycling of their garments.

In 2005 Patagonia launched their common threads recycling program which is a scheme where customers can return their used clothes to be recycled It started by recycling just the Capilene® Performance Baselayers but then expanded  to include the worn out Patagonia® fleece, Polartec® fleece clothing (from any maker), Patagonia cotton T-shirts, and now some additional polyester and nylon-6 products that come with a Common Threads tag. The garments are recycled into new clothes.

Patagonia has a great company goal of taking responsibility for every product that they make and I think there is certainly a lot that other clothing manufacturers could learn from Patagonia. They don’t just talk the talk, I think they really walk the walk when it comes to environmental responsibilty with 1% of their sales going to preservation and restoration of the natural environment.