2025 Sustainable Consumption Guide
A Healthier 2025 for the Planet
Is your New Year’s Resolution to be more sustainable? Good, it should be. Being a sustainable and thoughtful consumer is crucial to changing the culture of fast-fashion and consumerism we’ve built in the United States. We are meant to treasure our goods, make them last, consider the environmental and ethical impact of each purchase we make, and make the best purchase possible given our individual circumstances.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, hot and cool girls care about their environmental impact on the world and shop responsibility. In 2025, fast fashion is out and caring is back in.
Don’t Buy Until It’s Empty
The first and most important principle: reduce. Although the aisles of Sephora are seductive, you don’t need 6 different blushes and 8 bronzers. One principle to live by is to only replenish your belongings once they’re empty. If it’s a tried and true favorite, buy another. If you didn’t love it, you can try buying a new recommendation. This discipline in spending habits will help shift you into the mindset of a more sustainable consumer. Someone who values and uses their goods to the fullest extent. It will also lighten your mental burden in many ways. Reducing the quantity of products we buy minimizes clutter which frees the mental burden of disorganization. A more de-cluttered, organized space also leads to more efficient morning routines. Reducing our consumption in turn means reducing our waste, a key factor in our personal sustainability journeys. Not to mention, your bank account will thank you too for cutting unnecessary spending. A happy bank account means a happy mind.
Reduce Waste by Finding Reusable and compostable Swaps
Now that we’ve talked about reducing our consumption, let’s look at what we do have and reuse. Consider areas in your life where you create single use waste (items used once then throw away). Think about how you could swap them for a reusable alternative. My favorite swap I have made recently is from disposable cotton pads that I used to take off my makeup, to cloth rounds that were made from wash clothes. I no longer need to throw out a cotton pad every day and continuously buy new packs that are wrapped in plastic. Other swaps might include: reusable and washable snack bags instead of plastic ziploc bags, wax paper to wrap leftovers instead of cling wrap, canvas bags for groceries instead of plastic or paper bags, razors with refillable razorheads, s glass or metal tumbler for hot/iced coffee, metal water bottle for school/work, washable cloth pads or period underwear instead of pads and tampons. Investing in long-lasting products to avoid daily waste is an investment in the future. Some items may need to be single use, typically hygienic items, consider biodegradable options instead of plastic. One of my favorite swaps has been from plastic tooth floss picks to compostable ones made of corn-starch.
Consider Each Purchase
Just as you meticulously plan each stunning outfit for every event, we must be meticulous with each purchase we make. When you are out shopping and think you see a “cute” shirt, wait at least a week until purchasing it. If it has been a week or even two, and you can’t stop thinking about this one shirt, perhaps it’s a sign this piece will truly be a valuable addition to your wardrobe. Odds are, if it's just a shirt you thought was “cute” in passing, you’ll forget about it quickly. Besides, something being “cute” doesn’t always mean it needs to be in your wardrobe. This is especially important given how fast trends come in and out of style nowadays. Something you bought on an impulse because it was trendy might become hideous a month later and become a waste of money, space, and resources.
Buy Second Hand
My favorite way to save money on the items I have been yearning for is looking for those same items on my favorite second-hand websites. These include: Poshmark, Depop, ThredUp, Ebay, and TheRealReal. Similarly, one of my favorite off-day activities is browsing local second-hand and vintage shops to see if I can find anything to-die-for or any second hand alternatives to items I’ve been wanting. Buying second hand reduces the demand for production of new goods and contributes to a circular economy. Instead of old clothes going to waste in a landfill, they can continue circling through the community to be loved and appreciated.
Find non-shopping hobbies
Like many of you, I consider retail therapy one of my favorite hobbies and a downright skill at this point. It is important to decentralize consumption from our everyday lives. Recreational shopping, online or in-person, should not be an everyday occurrence. Pursue other passions and interests that fill your time and fill your personal cup of joy. More time doing means more memories and less unnecessary spending. I have always noticed that in the summer I shop far less than I do in the winter, as my time in the summer is typically filled with sun-kissed days, walks outside, refreshing lake swims, new activities, and time with my friends. The cold days of hibernation in the winter tend to give way to endless online browsing for things I don’t really need. Spend time learning a new skill like sewing, baking, pottery, or photography. Discover a new blissful relaxation strategy like reading, writing, or painting. Learn healthy ways to keep your body and mind well by going for walks, trying new workouts, learning new sports like skiing or pickleball or horseback riding. Think of the things you have always wanted to do and actually schedule the time in your week to do them. Besides, the dopamine from pressing the “place my order” button is only temporary and depletes fast. The endorphins from moving your body, or the serotonin from time spent in the sun is long-lasting and renewable.
Read the Labels
The most powerful tool we have in most facets of our lives, particularly as a consumer is information. Information is power. As consumers we vote with our dollar. We vote for which companies should continue on with their business models. We vote for what food processes we think are acceptable, or what business practices we don’t mind overlooking. Do your closet a favor by reading the labels of the clothes you purchase. What are they made of? If it's 100% polyester I can assure you the company shouldn’t be charging you $50 for it. Is it a wool and cotton blend? Maybe this piece will cost you a bit more but it will live in your closet for a long time to come as it won’t fall apart as fast. It will keep you exponentially warmer, and it will not live on our planet for thousands of years after us. Take the time to inform yourself on what you believe is worth spending your hard-earned money on. If you have the time, research the brands you are buying from. Learn about their missions, their goals, their sourcing, and their labor practices. Decide if you can support their systems, or if there is a brand who deserves your dollar more.
Support Local
One of the most important aspects of sustainability is economic sustainability. We must support companies that contribute to a healthy economy with healthy practices. Supporting local businesses is what keeps small communities and local economies thriving. It is what pays the bills for your childhood neighbors who own a local cafe, or your best friend’s dad who works at a local accounting firm. Studies have shown that for every $1 spent at a local small business $0.67 of that is spent in the community. While if the same dollar is spent at a national chain brand, only $0.43 remains local. Make 2025 your year of keeping your local business thriving.
