I really hate having to buy new running shoes as they are just so expensive, and I choose to wear mine until DEATH. I had to leave my last pair behind in Greece on holiday as they literally fell to pieces. Like a lot of us, I am really aware of how much I consume, given how we all need to consider our impact on the planet.Here is a great calculator which we all did at work and totally shocked ourselves:
So, with REDUCE, RE-USE and RECYCLE in mind, one of my New Years resolutions is to only buy secondhand clothes, shoes and underwear. Yes- I know, I know, dirty knickers come to mind, but hear me out on this....
here are a few facts:
🌎 Textiles production uses around 93 billion cubic metres of water annually and an estimated 1.2 billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions from production per year. This is more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined.
🌎 It is expected that clothing consumption will increase globally by 63% by 2030, from the current 62 million tonnes to 102 million tonnes by 2030.
🌎350,000 tonnes, that’s around £140 million worth of used but still wearable clothing goes to landfill in the UK every year.
So- to kick this off, I have bought myself some much needed new runners- secondhand Salomon's from Ebay, 30 quids PS I had just completed a muddy trail run in the pic!!
So- back to the dirty knickers dilemma..... I am a huge Ebayer and I often buy second hand 'unused' or 'label attached' items, which I will aim to do for my knickers ( I will keep you posted on this 👙). I have bought a full set of underwear in the RSPCA charity shop in the past ( label attached) and it was absolutely fine.
I will keep you updated on how I am doing during the year, and share some of my bargains. Please share any of your ideas too
Happy Panthering,
Juju
xx
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ju-ju-
Graduate10
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Hmm... Having received a number of negative comments about me being given a pair of second hand shoes, I dread to think what people are going to make of your second hand pants. 🤦♂️🤣
Good luck with finding bargains.
My running mate works for the local council promoting being green, so Reduce Reuse and Recycle has been drilled into me. I've still got a long way to go, but I certainly enjoy reducing the impact on my bank balance
I am concerned about the negative comments you've had about second hand shoes? When I buy second hand runners I always check a pic of the soles to see how much wear they have had. And deffo re the bank balance!!
There were a number of people concerned the shoes would have moulded around the previous owners gait and therefore be bad for someone else, where others didn't like the idea of putting their foot in someone else's sweat and varuccas!
I also buy MOST of my clothes second hand, mostly from charity shops, so no delivery footprint. I haven't yet taken the plunge and bought underwear so I look forward to hearing how you get on with the knickers! It's such an important thing that we need to spread the word. I think lots of people would be embarrassed to have 'pre-loved' clothes and it's quite a barrier to break down. Thank you for posting x
Well done on the charity shops. I really struggle with that as I work full time. No excuse i know, but I also hate shopping, so I do everything online. I think pre- loved is going to be the new new as there is also so much more variety which brings creativity too...
Thanks for the link - we have an ecoteam at school and a weekly staff eco email so I will share this soon! Despite the recent trainer splurge (Up & Running collect old trainers for recycling/charities) I rarely buy anything new and dress mainly in charity shop finds. I was a bit of a jumble sale kid whilst growing up and my mum made lots of our clothes. I've bought new with tags bras from ebay before - absolutely fine! Apart from the usual household eco initiatives here are some other things I do: knit/crochet/sew anything useful e.g. dishcloths, shopping bags, cushion covers, quilts (old shirts and boxer shorts are great and a memory quilt for my mum of all her old dresses/skirts), rugs from old t-shirts, mobile phone covers .... For the ladies, I've always used organic STs and tampons but swapped last year to a menstrual cup - just fab!! Comfy, wear for 12 hours, lasts 10 years - happily copes with running, biking, horse riding, hiking, yoga, pilates & long days at work with few loo breaks!! 3000 tampons and tons of waste saved apparently. If you're feeling creative, there are courses at various sewing places where you can sew your own undies! I haven't yet explored this avenue but it sounds interesting! Looking forward to seeing your purchases/creations!
I LOVE THIS... wow you are just fab and I need to start doing some of this too!! I used washable nappies for my children ( they are teenagers now so it was the early days of designs!). It was hard when I went back to work though and I did succumb to the odd pamper!! I'm also saving a bit as I no longer need sanitary wear as 3 years into the menopause which makes life easier on that front. I never went down that line but it sounds really doable. I will keep you posted on how I get on!
Not sure I can aspire to be as green as you but it's a great ambition. My first proper running shoes are falling to pieces but they have seen me through C25K, B210K and C25K again after coming back from a broken foot. Very reluctant to ditch them!
Your post has made me think again about buying new stuff. Which is a good thing.
I am always a bit mystified by concerns about previously worn underwear. Is there any evidence of transmission of pathogens or is it just squeamishness? In particular I fail to understand what the distinction would be between wearing a top that has been worn against someone else's skin and a bra that has been previously worn. Shoes might be the most risky.
Do people know about Oxfam Online? (I know that for many people browsing charity shops is a hobby but it takes a bit of time and stamina) Flat rate postage and free returns. Pricing is by volunteers so can be a bit random but worth a look - sports bras and running shoes and other kit. There's also a charity shop in Buxton that specialises in outdoor and sportswear (excuse for a visit to the Peak District and accessible by bus and train)
Also worth joining your local Freegle group. We got a fantastic wetsuit for my elder son that way - it had been made specially for the person we got it from so it was amazing that he fitted it perfectly.
You might be me...I use Oxfam Online...the Charity shop Buxton... ( well all of them really ), favourite... tired of house work, let's head out, place...followed by a picnic up in the Goyt...
We have Freecyle here...I have got loads from there and contributed loads too... as for other stuff and squeamishness about who wore what...I am a bit iffy about shoes also... but anything else... as my Nan said... "It all comes out in the wash" !
Most of the charity shops there are ace... I buy a lot of small runner in training's books there as we cannot keep up with her appetite for reading... and if you go about six weeks after Christmas... the stock is amazing... all the unwanted Christmas gifts... kept for about six weeks for appearances and then given away!
If you have friends who love reading...it is a cornucopia!
Great to have the recommendation, thanks. There are pockets of the Cotswolds where I live which are extremely posh & certain charity shops have amazing cast-offs. My best buy was a Dolce & Gabbana shirt for my husband - unworn £20. On returning home I went on the website and found an identical shirt for £350!! He has also had some nice cycling/running gear too. As for books, I would love Buxton - nearly everything I read is second hand. Perfect for grandchildren who devour stories! 😁
I wasnt aware Oxfam does online, I am going to check that out- thankyou! I agree, I dont have a problem at all with second hand anything. I grew up on jumble sale clothes so its in my blood!! Is Freegle like Freecycle? I am a fan its such a great idea. Fab re the wetsuit, what a find!!
Good to see the word about Oxfam online getting out - I’m a volunteer lister for them. And we get lots of new stuff, including underwear, direct from them when it reaches the very end of the season/sale/line.
I volunteer at Oxfam online & we put some fab stuff on at good prices. Plus, the money all goes to do good as well! Listed some as-new running shorts from M&S today. And quite a lot is new.
Obviously the link up with businesses is one thing but it is quite disturbing how much stuff is donated with the tags still on. That said, I am about to donate a jumper bought for MrGM which he faffed about trying on so long and then I had lost the receipt and was only offered 10% of the price I paid (allegedly it was on sale for that somewhere. Where?) so I took it back and said I'd rather donate it.
Sportswear in particular has to be right doesn't it so it isn't surprising if there is lots in very good condition available because it hasn't suited in practice but it is salutary to think that some of it will be because people have given up, or not started. (Some nice cycling stuff I got MrGM and now it seems he has made an explicit decision he isn't going to cycle again, don't know why)
Thank you so much for your volunteer work Granspeed . Given how much time I've spent on that site and how many purchases I've made lately, I may well have benefitted from it!
Good for you, I have special insoles and a heel lift in my left shoe, this means i need shoes with a high back otherwise my foot slips, so....reebok’s work for me and a few months ago i bid on a few pairs on ebay, to my rather horrified surprise i won 3 pairs, a black pair that i wear most the time cost me a tenner, a bevy pair that i wear with envy leg warmers and fawn cords and a navy jumper which looks quite smart for about twelve quid and a whit and green pair that i wear when the sun shines, no one wanted them and i got them for under a tenner, so all in all i have loads of choices of running shoes as well as daily wearing shoes and not one pair showed any wear before i got them, not sure about underwear though but wouldn’t judge anyone else
Buying pre owned things often means you get better quality than you can afford and save a bit of the planet at the same time
mind you try explaining to an unexpected visitor why we have a third of a bath full of cold obviously used water.....saves flushing the loo with clean water of course
That felt a bit strange to start with but we’ve got used to it, my daughter just lifts the lid of the cistern and fills with a 2 ltr jug for the next flush and says her cistern takes 12 liters so for a family of 4 it’s a great saving
We just go for a bucketful, it actually keeps it cleaner because a bucketful goes in every wee rather than not flushing every wee and i don’t mind a slightly deeper bath
in summer though we divert bath water for the garden so i’m not sure how that will work
I’m keeping an eye on water usage and for 2 of us we use less than the average 1 person amount so over time it’s a good saving for the planet and our pockets
You might not need to buy new undies at all though. My trusty m&s cotton pants last me years. I sew most of my clothes & do have a pattern for pants but haven't got round to trying it yet 😊
I hate shopping, especially clothes shopping. I wear clothes until they literally fall apart. I have clothes in my wardrobe which are over 10 years old and still being worn. I hardly ever shop for clothes, even my cast aways would be unfit for charity shops as they are beyond worn. The fashion industry is insane, I can’t understand people who only wear expensive brands, and then only wear them once or twice.
Great stuff, yes I hate shopping too but I do like clothes and colour etc.. comes from being a fashion student years ago. Makes life easier for you too I bet?!
Yeah Juju! I’m with you on that except I’ve not done it for underwear or sports gear but will look into that too.
I think someone mentioned last year that Oxfam online has sportwear. I’m trying the procoal range someone mentioned, the shampoo bar and the deodorant and I’m really impressed with both so gifting them to family too. X
Oh and I sell my clothes on vinted so that’s another good second hand source. I am doing that instead ofngiving to charity shops as trying to avoid landfill.
Love this Ju... recycle, up- cycle loads of stuff.. the whole family are like that.. when i taught I bought nearly all my clothing from charity shops... lovely small ones with painty and gluey hands and loving hugs meant a huge turnover in washing... the only thing am a bit wary of is shoes... not sure why...
I have donated running stuff to a running charity too ( I lost weight at the start of this four years ago..).
I think passing things around is great.. for everyone... This year we all wrapped out presents with off cuts of material that we have collected over the years.. we have used newspaper, really old ripped maps and tatty old sheet music... unplayable... in past years... great fun
I am a natural hoarder anyway, and wear favourite stuff to the point of extinction...so I think it comes easier.
Good post and very encouraging thread, ju-ju- 👍😄🎉 Besides Oxfam online, don’t forget rerun - based in Brighton, I think, but mainly online. Its whole business is passing round running gear!
It’s great to see so many folks on here focused on Reduce and Reuse. So often they seem to be forgotten with the focus on recycling. But imho it’s reduce & reuse which are more beneficial.
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PS I had just completed a muddy trail run in the pic!!
Same shoes again?
I only went and bloody did it!
Equipment Advice - Shoes and Jacket
Sorry to post on both communities but I need advice
Pants
