The 'S' Word

The 'S' Word……..Sustainability

Being kind to yourself and our environment is at the heart of Wild & Rust’s approach to sustainable retail. We would like to invite you on our sustainable journey working towards a mindful shopping experience as we learn to make better choices about how we buy, consume and dispose. Driven by a passion to make a small difference that will one day drive a bigger change, the Team at Wild and Rust are continuously looking for new ways to make small daily positive changes on our sustainable journey.

Our green credentials although limited in impact on a global scale does not lack in heartfelt and sincere effort on a local and personal basis. We are by no means green gurus and you won’t find us hugging trees (but if the urge grabs you – no judgement here) or foraging for tonight’s dinner in the woods, but when it comes to sincere efforts in making smarter environmentally friendly and kinder decisions, our efforts are definitely ‘Greta’ like.

Big change starts with a small first step and so here we share with you a few basic sustainability top tips we hope will over time make a wider positive difference:

1. Maximise use of what you have – can you extend the life of an item of clothing another season or two? Can it be repaired, or upcycled? A neighbour down the street selflessly made over 200 face coverings from old bedsheets, curtains and clothing during lockdown and gave them away for free – our very own repurposing lockdown heroin! Thank you Jean!

2. Borrow or rent – do you really need to buy a new one? Can you borrow a hat or a dress or a bag? How about instead renting toys that children grow bored of so quickly? There are some wonderful toy libraries in our communities available for all to use.

3. Clothing subscription services, especially for children are becoming hugely popular and it’s a great way to use and return clothes that may only be worn a few times when your little ones are going through regular growth spurts.

4. Optimising used items is a great way to be sustainable - buying clothes/jewellery/toys etc from vintage and second hand shops and especially charity shops is easy and accessible for all of us.

5. Choose organic low impact fibres and fabrics for clothes – this ensures there is traceability and allows you to review ethical sources – many larger retailers are now introducing organic cotton ranges. Support them!

6. Quality over quantity – buy classic, timeless good quality items that will last and give you many years of wear and enjoyment that you know have been ethically and responsibly produced and sourced. Gone are the days of single wear/use cheap labour irresponsible production and any retailer that still operates in such a way should be held accountable. Don’t forget to check out our fantastic range of responsibly, ethically and locally sourced products!

7. Using recycled synthetic fibres that have been manufactured from materials recovered from the waste stream come from the reduced energy needed to produce the final fibre, reduced dependence on oil, and the diversion of waste from landfills. A positive way to repurpose waste!

8. Look for certification when buying certain products that confirm credentials such as for example Organic Certified, B Corp, ZQ Certified Wool, Cradle to Cradle, Fairtrade & Ethical.

9. Support artisan made which supports local diversity, fairtrade, and traditional craftsmanship – this encourages the use of natural and local resources, reduces over extraction and because generally handmade it is more expensive than factory produced, it slows fast consumerism and reduces environmental impact ... quality over quantity.

10. Plant dyed not synthetically dyed fibres - so that when recycled or degraded, (soil to soil) there is little or no toxic microbiology impact on soil or the local environment. We are not scientists but even we know that makes sense!

12. Diversification- the more people that make better choices i.e. organic coloured cotton clothing or products made from organic fibres and sustainable materials, the more the demand will drive a change in practices etc - consider alternative fibres e.g. banana leaf, pineapple, ramie, hemp. We are truly fortunate to have so much choice, yet we severely under-utilise the variety. 

13. Get involved and donate to good causes and charities that make positive contributions to driving sustainability - in particularly those that aim to work with businesses and communities to deliver and improve resource efficiency. Therefore accelerating the move to a sustainable and resource-efficient economy.

15. Utilise community services and small businesses to make a difference – social media recycling groups are a great and easy way to get involved. Apps like OLIO are a great way to both give and receive whilst reducing waste. Even big supermarkets are getting involved in donating their ‘old’ and excess produce to their local communities.
    
    
16. Be creative and have fun with it – repurpose everyday items, get the whole family involved and give everyday unloved items a new lease on life. Have an old tin? Turn it into a paint brush pot, a rustic vase or delight the kids with junk modelling!

What little difference can you make to drive big change?

#BeKind #ShopSmart

With warmest wishes                                                                                                   

The Wild & Rust Team