Now that we have spoken about consumption and production, you may be thinking that these two processes are limited to the food, electronics and essential items we purchase from the supermarket. You are mistaken. Our consumption and production levels also extend from the clothes we wear down to the shoes on our feet. Today, we have several retail shops that bring in items and clothes that if we took keen to note, we probably do not need. This is not only a Uganda problem but a worldwide problem.

To impact our climate at an individual level is hard to track and would require us to change our habits and routines by making choices that would have less harmful effects on the climate. One important industry where we can have a great impact in fashion especially because Ugandans love to look good.

The fashion industry is split into two categories. Fast fashion involves the mass production of recent fashion trends and bringing them into retail shops as quickly as possible while demand is at its highest. The second category is our center focus today. Zero-waste fashion refers to items of clothing that generate little or no textile waste in their production. The fashion industry without a doubt creates massive amounts of waste that negatively impacts the environment. This waste includes textile scraps, leftover fabric, excess thread and paper waste. Zero waste fashion tries to solve this problem by creating sustainable fashion options. While this is the most feasible option for environment lovers across the world, when it comes to practice, the path towards sustainable fashion remains ambiguous and hard to achieve.

Zero waste fashion is a new way of thinking that forces designers to challenge existing techniques to reduce garbage in their production cycle but to recycle whatever scraps they may have. There are two strategies for zero-waste fashion: creative pattern making that uses 100% of a given material, and upcycling which involves the reusing of old clothes and fabric and making something new. It is not a new concept, but it’s a step in the right direction in order for countries to achieve sustainable consumption and production. The task ahead of us may be a grave one, but not impossible.

Here are some everyday zero-waste fashion actions you can take to help this venture:

i) Curb your consumption. 

Do you really need another pair of jeans, a new T-shirt or a pair of sandals? It’s important that prior to purchasing, ask yourself if you’ll wear it a minimum of 30 times. If the answer is no, then forget about it and move on with a lighter heart—and carbon footprint.

ii) What’s old is new again. 

Thrift shopping is the new normal. Urban areas generally have a wide range of choices. In Uganda green shops and our famous Owino Market are good places to do this. 

iii) Spread the love. 

Donate your unwanted clothes to charity organizations or church organisations. Skip the landfill and trash bin. 

iv) Upcycle for a new look. 

Rework the fabric from old clothes into something new, e.g., a pillowcase, quilt, or doll clothes.

“Fast fashion isn’t free. Someone somewhere is paying.”

– Lucy Seigle