Steve Clark

The fashion industry is one of the worst for its negative impact on the environment. It takes roughly 1800 gallons of water to produce a new pair of jeans, and synthetic materials such as polyester can take up to 200 years to decompose in landfill. If you are looking to reduce how many new items of clothing you purchase, here are five questions to ask yourself before buying new clothes. “Do I really need it?” Ask yourself why you are buying the item. Is it because you want it or because you need it? Ask yourself how many other items in your wardrobe are similar. If you already have something similar, Consider whether your emotions are influencing your spending habits – will buying this item really make you feel better? Sleep on it for a week. You haven’t owned it until this point so you can live without it for another seven days. If you still need it in a week’s time, you’re ready to purchase it. “How often will I wear it?” Livia Firth created the #30Wears campaign – an initia...

From watering holes to workouts, it’s well known that relying too heavily on your old faithfuls usually means getting stuck in a rut. Things are no different when it comes to style. It may be easy to overhaul an entire wardrobe with a six-figure salary and a stylist on speed dial, but the question for many of us is how do you go about making changes if your bank account is more lemonade than champagne? Whether you feel the urge to smarten up for the New Year or are just fed up with being asked whose funeral it is every day, here are seven inexpensive ways to look money. Know the Brands That Have Your Back The financial risk of a sartorial reshuffle can be buffered somewhat by knowing the brands that suit you. If you’re already happy with the fit of a T-shirt or a particular trouser’s break, chances are you can return to where you got them from for a successful rerun in a colour, pattern or fabric you wouldn’t normally consider. The high street is well-armed with a breadth of styles, me...

If you are looking for a way that your business or organization can give back, organize a donation drive. A donation drive is a great way for your business/organization to support the community and promote your company’s culture.  BUILD A TEAM  The first step to organizing a donation drive is building a team. Who are you going to get involved and who will help you? Donation drives are an excellent way for businesses and organizations to team up and  do charitable acts for the community. You want to create a committee that will help you find a local partner, deliver donations and advertise the event.  FIND A LOCAL PARTNER   Now that you have your team, it is time to choose a local partner who is looking for donations.  Thrift stores are always in search of businesses and organizations that are willing to collect item donations. These local businesses and organizations can help collect donations to help reduce textile waste and make clothing affordable t...

You have finally closed on your dream home! Now, it is time to start packing to move into your new home. The only problem is that you have so many things it's hard to know where to start.  Relocating is hard enough. Why do you need to carry items you have never used to your new house?  WHY SHOULD YOU DECLUTTER BEFORE MOVING?  Moving may be expensive and time-consuming. The  Consumers Affairs estimates that a local move may cost you $80 to $100 per hour for a team of two movers. How much your total cost for using movers depends on how many items you have to move. The movers will be loading and unloading the truck. BEST WAYS TO DECLUTTER BEFORE A MOVE Create a game plan Not knowing where to start decluttering can be frustrating. Should you start in your garage, shed or basement? Save yourself those overwhelming feelings and  create a plan.  Began by spacing out the days you are going to declutter each room. This will ease up your workload without fe...

Old item donations are great because they allow you to give things to those who need them more than you. You can get rid of possessions you don’t use. However, not everything you might want to get rid of is useable, and you need to consider what you donate carefully. You don’t want to create extra work for those who sort through donations and find things that don’t belong. I’ll give you a few common items you should never donate to charity because they tend to become unusable in the long run. Unusable Clothing While clothing of all kinds frequently finds its way into the donation bins, there’s a limit to what you can donate. Not all clothes are fit for a donation. Specifically, you want to avoid any clothes that simply aren’t usable anymore. Large stains, big rips, tears, holes, missing buttons—all of these things make clothing much less attractive as a donation option. Consider recycling these clothes instead, as they won’t be of much use to someone who wants to wear them. Recalled It...