Reduction

Maintenance

Prolonging the use of your clothes starts with proper care. The labels and the fabric’s material must be considered.

There are several ways to increase the chances of keeping a garment longer.

Repair /
Transformation

Favour the repair and alteration of clothes to facilitate wearing them longer and reducing your ecological footprint.

Before disposing of used clothing, you can find a way to repair or alter them. The impact is substantial:

• Reduction in the amount of waste going to landfill
• Opportunity for someone else to purchase clothing at a low cost
• Minimization of the adverse environmental effects of producing new clothes

If you don’t know how to sew, ask someone you know! You can also find a professional in your neighbourhood who offers sewing services (tailor, dry cleaner, etc.).

Upcycling, or creating something new from what you already have, is good for the wallet and the planet. A piece of clothing that is no longer worn but is made of beautiful fabric can be transformed into a new garment, product, or accessory. The Renaissance Ecollaborators^TM may inspire you.

Donate or recycle

It is always possible to donate or recycle your clothing rather than throw it out.

Optimizing the chances of giving a second life to your clothes is very doable and close to home. You contribute to the protection of the environment by:

• Giving them to family or friends
• Bringing your clothes to a community organization’s donation centre

Consuming better means consuming locally

Encouraging local commerce contributes positively to economic, environmental, and social outcomes.

When you buy new clothes in a local store, you contribute to the development of the Quebec market and have a positive effect on the local economy. The impacts are economic, environmental and social.

Economic impacts:

• Support of provincial resilience
• Contribution to the province’s economic growth

Social impacts:

• Compliance with the highest quality standards in Quebec
• Equity in employee labour rights

Environmental impacts:

• Reduction of transport routes
• Use of renewable energy: Quebec’s hydroelectricity
• Small-scale production to limit waste

Opting for quality

Before getting to the purchase stage, take a few minutes to analyze the product that interests us.

By opting for quality, you buy a more expensive garment but one that will last longer and avoid future unnecessary purchases.

We recognize the quality of a garment by touching or trying it on:

• Accessories (zipper, buttons, etc.)
• Stitching and alterations
• Fabric type (cotton, polyester, leather, silk, etc.)

Rent, borrow, exchange

Renting clothes allows you to refresh your wardrobe and dress up for a special occasion or a short time.

Between local shops, dedicated online applications or your friends and family: several options are available for renting clothes and accessories. This practice is even more useful for events such as weddings, celebrations, pregnancy, and a baby’s first months.

The advantages of renting:

• Save money
• Try new brands/styles
• Vary your wardrobe

In addition, you can also opt for a subscription service that allows you to choose several items and wear them for a limited time. For example, after one month, customers simply send the clothes back to be washed and re-selected for the next month.

Buy second-hand

Purchasing second-hand has several advantages.

Thrift stores offer the opportunity to buy clothes at more affordable prices and often without taxes. By Integrating second-hand clothing into your shopping habits, you will:

• Discover unique items
• Buy brands at the best price
• Support a good cause (depending on the thrift store)
• Extend the use of a product
• Reduce the amount of waste in landfills
• Consume more responsibly