Kiwi Eco Box

How to Check if a Brand is Sustainable👇

✔️First, Check the Materials

Unless they’re made from vintage, upcycled or waste fabrics, the textiles used by sustainable clothing brands should be made from recyclable, renewable materials like linen, h**p, Tencel or silk.

✔️Never Leather

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✔️A blind eye to toxic dye

It’s said that you can tell which colors will be ‘in’ next year by looking at the color of some rivers in China. Yep, dyeing clothing actually does this to rivers, and believe me, most clothing dye is highly toxic. It kills off plants exposed to factory wastewater, destroy ecosystems, poison drinking water, and generally end up in our bodies, thanks to water precipitation cycles and food exports.

There are laws against using such toxic dyes without proper disposal and filtration. But that’s only true in most developed countries; not in developing Asian ones.

Of course, completely banning brands made in developing countries with lax regulations is bit complicated. Mainly because many people rely on those companies for their income. Ultimately, it’s actually down to us to realise that any $5 tee shirt reeks of exploitation and environmental degradation, and to demand change. After all, wouldn’t you feel prettier paying $15 for the same shirt, knowing whoever made it was well paid, and the materials used for it won’t end up giving someone (including you) cancer?

✔️Be Wary of Anything Made Far, Far Away

What do labels  like Alexander Wang, Louis Vuitton and Opening Ceremony have in common? They (and many, many more brands!) are all made in China. That’s not bad in itself. But when luxury labels move production to Asia to increase their profit margins by paying workers peanuts, well, that’s just not on. You want to charge me $2000 for a handbag? Fine, but the woman who made it better be pretty darn well paid!

To sum up, Textiles, dyes and ethically paid workers are the three main factors to consider when purchasing clothing.

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Everyone likes a good fright for Halloween, but there is nothing scarier than piles of garbage taking over our streets! Instead of buying cheap one-time use items to spook up your celebration, use these tips to help you reduce, reuse and recycle items for a more Zero Waste Halloween 🎃

🍂 1. Most store-bought Halloween costumes are made of cheap polyester materials and are thrown away after being worn one time. Instead of going for the easy grab at the party store, consider a costume swap with friends or get creative with clothing that you already own and will wear again after Halloween night is over. If you do choose to buy something new, try searching for previously owned items on eBay or Marketplace.

🍂 2. Instead of buying cheap holiday decor, get inspired by nature! Gather leaves and grass clippings to stuff clothes for a scarecrow or fill glass jars with acorns to make beautiful centerpieces. You can also buy pumpkins, gourds and dried corn for your decor and eat or compost them after you no longer need them for decoration.

🍂 3. Help to reduce the number of non-recyclable candy wrappers by opting to healthy spooky snacks to give to your trick-or-treaters instead. Most candy wrappers are made of a combination of paper and plastic and cannot be recycled. Instead, encourage your family and friends to go with healthy snacks.

Halloween is meant to be a scary holiday, but this doesn’t mean it should have frightening effects on the environment. By putting a little bit of thought into your decorations, costumes, and candy, you can make a big difference in how much waste you generate without taking anything away from the spooky spirit of the holiday. Get planning your plastic free Halloween today! 🎃🍂☝

Day one of zero waste 🤣

What is your biggest failure in zero waste lifestyle? 👇