Here’s how to have a pre-loved Christmas
In December, ChangeMakers Donegal invited Arran Murphy, Programme Manager with Rediscover Fashion, at the Rediscovery Centre to present two community get togethers called Green your Wardrobe. The first event took place in Letterkenny in partnership with Letterkenny Tidy Towns at the Regional Cultural Centre and the second event took place at Spraoi agus Sport in Carndonagh, affording us the opportunity to visit the impressive Siorai Home and Accessories after the event.
Arran brought along bags of inspirational upcycled items and a Pop Up Swap Rail and over the course of the two days we saw almost 60 people learn more about the problem with fast fashion and reflect on how they could change their ways especially at Christmas time.
“Change needs to happen at every level, it’s not just up to the individual to change,” Arran Murphy, Rediscovery Centre, speaking in Donegal.
PRE-LOVED CHRISTMAS, ANYONE?
Here are Arran’s top tips on how to be a more conscious consumer this Christmas.
- Buy less – reduce what we have
- Buy locally to lessen carbon footprint
- Buy natural fibres avoiding micro-plastics
- Buy second hand
- Take part in alternative ownership models
- like Rent the Runway
- Read your care labels to take care of your clothes properly
- Wash your clothes less
- Use your own clothes more – shop your wardrobe
- Repair – a stitch in time saves nine
- Sell/Swap/Donate
- Learn more about our collaborators at the Rediscovery Centre
WHAT DO LOCAL PEOPLE THINK?
“Shopping in a charity shop, you can actually get really lovely stuff” Listen back to Ours to Protect on Highland Radio to hear what local Donegal people taught about both buying second hand and receiving second-hand goods. Donna Marie Doherty of Highland Radio leaves us with a tip to waste out for food waste and consider the local charity shop for Christmas cards.
WHAT’S NEXT?
We are all about providing education to spark change and we’d love to see more sustainability in action with local people reducing their fashion consumption for the good of the planet. Afterall, we have enough clothes on the earth now for six generations, do we really need more? Through our Seeds of Change programme, we are funding and mentoring a number of groups to carry out upcycling projects to plug the gap locally when it comes to skills development. If you would like us to connect you to Letterkenny Tidy Towns, Spraoi agus Sport, Pobail le Cheile or Rathmullan Tidy Towns, get in touch at changemakers@inishowen.ie.
Inspired to take action this Christmas? Visit our Responsible Consumption Sustainability Passport here and take three steps to be more sustainable.
THANK YOUS
So many people collaborated with us to make these two events happen. Firstly, thanks to Arran Murphy, Programme Manager, Rediscover Fashion and Claire Downey, Research and Policy Director at the Rediscovery Centre. Thank you to Fiona O’Reilly of On The Dot Design and Letterkenny Tidy Towns, Eilish Kennedy of ATU Fashion and Letterkenny Tidy Towns, Ann-Louise Mc Clintock of Letterkenny Chamber and Letterkenny Tidy Towns. Jeremy Howard, Director of the beautiful Regional Cultural Centre. At Carndonagh, thank you to Helen Nolan, Mary Mc Weeney, Kathleen Mc Daid at Spraoi agus Spórt and Spraoi Circular Economy Hub Lead, Lorraine Carey at Síoraí Sustainable Home Store. Thanks also to our colleagues at Inishowen Development Partnership who worked behind the scenes to organise and promote our events. Finally, thank you to everyone who came to take part. Happy Christmas.
