High fashion on the high street? Give me a charity shop and a fiver instead

If you have been following my blog, then you may have noticed that I’ve been rather off topic recently. I’ve been discussing broader environmental issues rather than just ethical shopping issues. The reason for this is that I’ve been doing so well – I’ve been sticking to my pledge and only buying from charity shops, charities and ethical outlets. I recently splashed out on this recycled t-shirt from earth huggers, a great website full of recycled goodies that may well have become my new favourite shop.

But, unfortunately, I’ve had a bit of a lapse. You see, I was invited to an event at a rather swanky club in Mayfair and my modest wardrobe really didn’t rise to the occasion. So I had to buy something to wear. By the usual persons standards, it wasn’t overly indulgent, just a top and jeans, but for me it’s a rather shameless lapse of my morals. But the strange this is, I actually really enjoyed buying things again which is something I didn’t expect. I still hate the high street, I hate the way that fashion is so fickle and most of it is so tasteless that shopping is just a bore, I hate the way that finding jeans to fit takes all day and I hate the way that it costs so much just to get just a top. But I discovered that I love the smell of new clothes, I love the way that some shops wrap the clothes in tissue paper like their delicate fragile things, I love the way that the clothes are actually new and aren’t bobbly or grubby from the previous owners dirt. Despite these things, I’m not giving up. Yes I feel bad about giving £50 of my hard earned cash to two high street shops but it was a one off and I do repent. I’ll find some way of making it up by volunteering for a charity or something. But I’ve been reading recently that some companies are actually really green but they just don’t advertise the fact – you never know, some high street stores might not actually be that bad! Look at me trying to justify myself. It shouldn’t matter to me if a high street store has converted to using only organic cotton or the like, the fact remains that the share holders will be raking it in and that’s what I really object to: fat cats getting fatter. So, it’s back to the charity shops for me. I still love charity shops, but then who doesn’t: discovering a bargain whilst listening to the mellow tunes of radio two – how could anyone not love that combination.

Are DVDs good for the planet?

Being ethical and green is all about lifestyle choices. As I sat in the cinema last week, looking over the hundreds of people swarming round the multiplex, I wondered how many of them had arrived by public transport. As I bolted out of the cinema (before the end of the film) to catch my train home, I spotted the car park. Obviously, most people would prefer to drive home rather than miss the end. Conclusion: cinemas can’t be green. With more and more DVD rental companies offering a mail order service, is it greener to stay home and watch a DVD? Some cinemas cost up to £8 per person so a DVD for the night is cheaper; you get to watch it (and pause it) in the comfort of your own home; you can eat and drink whatever you like without being charged extortionate cinema prices and if you have a high def TV and blu-ray player it is actually higher quality. So you’re better off with a DVD but is it better for the environment? Well, the jury is still out on that one. DVDs are produced from a variety of materials including metals, plastics and dyes which aren’t going to be good for the environment, but if you take into account the journeys of cinema goers and the impact of building the cinema you could argue that DVDs are better for the environment. Using that logic, some DVD rental companies could start a ‘be green and rent’ campaign like ‘Love Film? Love the environment?’ Some might think that is greenwashing but if it means more people stay at home and use their car less would it matter? People aren’t going to give up films; it’s a lifestyle choice so switching to a greener option is the only way forward (especially if other efforts were made such as recycled packaging). However, it would cripple the film industry, meaning that only the big budget Hollywood blockbusters would be made if everyone rented. Again, its choices: perhaps, I’ll only go to the cinema to see the independent films in future then.