The Time Is Now: 5 Fashionable Ways To Make Earth Hour More Meaningful

On March 25th, we all devoted 60 minutes to Earth Hour, doing positive actions in support of our planet. Saving an entire planet may seem overwhelming, but there are many small ways for every human being to contribute. 

If you’re into fashion (and since you’re reading this, you must be), the following ideas can help you wear your sustainable style proudly. Some suggestions are meant for business owners, others for shoppers, and some are relevant for everyone. 

• Make the most of your existing wardrobe: Instead of shopping for new clothes, try utilizing the ones you already have. Conduct a quick inventory to discover the awesome shirt that’s trending again, donate clothes to a cause dear to your heart, and take beloved items that need a little TLC to the local tailor. Before you know it, you’ll have a brilliant new closet that costs you and the environment a lot less.

• Embrace on-demand fashion: Shopping online is what around 70% of people already do, so why not tie this action to sustainable production? On-demand production, including textile printing, enables brands to manufacture items after the online purchase is made. Using speedy and accurate technology, businesses are able to deliver the garment fast enough, making the behind-the-scenes process undetectable. On-demand reduces wasteful dead inventory, saves the energy invested in fashion production, and is better for businesses, shoppers, and Mother Nature.

• Consume information, not clothes: We’re happy to see so many brands join the sustainable movement. Shoppers can use Earth Day to run online research and find out which brands exchange old clothes for new ones. A well-known example is H&M’s Close the Loop recycle and repair initiative. If you find valuable information, make sure to share it with others and impact their purchasing decisions. Studies show that 75% of internet users regularly use social media networks to research brands, and your research can benefit many.

• Study your data: Businesses, how much do you really know about your environmental footprint? Do you track your energy consumption and make an effort to optimize it? Tools like Kornit Konnect allow you to not only improve your performance but also measure and fine-tune your impact on the environment. Going over your data report doesn’t take long and can offer significant impact.

• Do less: The only thing better than doing something for the environment is doing nothing and still helping out. Consider this a shopping-free day, reduce your energy consumption, and eliminate the actions that hurt nature. It’s really that simple.

Earth Hour is an important event, but the small decisions we make year-round end up forming the environment we all live in. Despite what space explorers might make you believe, we still have only one planet.