Keeping clothes in use for nine months longer helps reduce carbon footprint, water and waste by 20-30%.
Words: Melanie Cuzco / Photos: Avery Stolte.
According to the UN, the clothing industry is the second most polluting industry in the world. And, currently, consumers buy 60% more clothes than a decade ago and garments are not even worn 10 times before they are discarded. Faced with this situation, several movements and initiatives have arisen from brands such as Patagonia that seek to raise awareness and educate people about the environmental impact that these actions generate, as well as to provide them with solutions.
So one of the current solutions is to repair clothes and use the things we already have to reduce consumption and waste. However, it is not only about people changing their behaviour and adopting this habit, but also about the responsibility of companies to produce high quality garments that will last for many years.
The benefits of this alternative for the environment are many, so that repairing becomes a radical act and one of the most responsible actions for the planet. When people take advantage of the clothes they already have, it reduces consumption, carbon footprint, water and waste, which is one of Patagonia’s goals.
With its Worn Wear programme, during 2021, Patagonia Ecuador repaired 365 garments, which means that more than 300 people attended its shop in Quito with this objective. To do this, they have a repair station where they have a sewing machine, thread stock and all the necessary supplies to give garments a second life, thus avoiding waste. The brand emphasises that garments are part of people’s stories and can even be passed on from generation to generation.
To continue the initiative and reach more people, Patagonia will have in-store repair festivals every Friday from 15h00 to 19h00 and Saturday from 10h00 to 14h00, as well as at outside events or fairs. People can bring their garment of any brand to be repaired. On the other hand, there is the Trade In programme, where people can exchange Patagonia garments in good condition that they are no longer going to use, for credit to use in the shop.
De esta forma, una de las soluciones actuales consiste en reparar la ropa y aprovechar las cosas que ya tenemos para reducir el consumo y el desperdicio. Sin embargo, no solo se trata de que las personas cambien su comportamiento y adquieran este hábito, sino que también está relacionado con la responsabilidad de las empresas de fabricar prendas de alta calidad que duren muchos años.
De esta forma, una de las soluciones actuales consiste en reparar la ropa y aprovechar las cosas que ya tenemos para reducir el consumo y el desperdicio. Sin embargo, no solo se trata de que las personas cambien su comportamiento y adquieran este hábito, sino que también está relacionado con la responsabilidad de las empresas de fabricar prendas de alta calidad que duren muchos años.
De esta forma, una de las soluciones actuales consiste en reparar la ropa y aprovechar las cosas que ya tenemos para reducir el consumo y el desperdicio. Sin embargo, no solo se trata de que las personas cambien su comportamiento y adquieran este hábito, sino que también está relacionado con la responsabilidad de las empresas de fabricar prendas de alta calidad que duren muchos años.
