Did you know that here in Hong Kong, we send a whopping 15,000 garments to landfill every hour?
Where is all this waste coming from?
We are now buying more clothes than ever before and have moved away from carefully looking after our clothes. Skills like cleaning, sewing and storing have fallen out of fashion and many of us are actively damaging our clothes through our everyday cleaning routines - prematurely ageing them by boiling, bleaching and tumbling them within an inch of their lives! We don’t know how to care for, or dispose of our clothes responsibly…
Redress is here to help!
Over 20 corporates have now joined us for our annual clothing drive in partnership with Miele, and you can join too - clear your closets and your conscience while benefiting multiple local charities.
From 6th - 19th November we will be collecting your (pre-cleaned please) clothes, shoes and accessories. Men’s, women’s and children’s wear will be accepted - from top quality through to worn out.
Simply drop them at our multiple locations in Hong Kong including Miele Experience Centre, 01 Space Cafe, Caelum Greene and select PizzaExpress restaurants around town. So clean out your closet without delay!
Loving our clothes longer
With just a few changes in daily habits, we as individuals can all make positive changes to lighten the environmental impacts of our fashion consumption. Once you have your newly cleared and organised wardrobe, take some notes from us on how considered care can give you a more conscious closet…
1. Consider your laundry care
Looking after our beloved garments through considered laundry care will ensure that they keep giving for years to come.
Start with the right tools - a repair kit and a good washing machine are essential to take care of the clothes you love. A quality machine will minimise the risk of damage to garments during washing cycles – did you know that Miele have a patented honeycomb drum [1] which adds an extra layer of protection to clothes?
Think before you shop – check labels before buying to make sure that you know how to care for your garment and it won’t end up neglected at the back of the wardrobe. Do you know your care symbols?
- Get to know your fibres - we don’t often look at our labels before we wash. Knowing fibre types and getting to grips with what works best to protect each will help your clothes last longer and reduce damage.
- Wear more before you wash – every time you wash your garment the fibres are weakened or lost and colours fade reducing the lifespan. Think twice before reaching for the laundry bin over the hanger.
2. Practice good stain removal
Spills and splashes are inevitable - coffee, ketchup or dirt has the potential to ruin a favourite top or dress in a split second. Getting to grips with stain removal techniques will help ensure that your clothes are not relegated to the donation pile too early. Knowing you can care for investment pieces will also give you the confidence to buy them in the first place – and take you further in your quest for a more conscious closet.
- Go natural - things that you might find in your kitchen cupboards bicarbonate of soda, white wine vinegar, club soda and lemon juice all have great stain-removal properties. For delicate fabrics (or for those new to stain removal), try a spot test first to see how the treatment reacts before attacking the entire stain.
- Catch stains early while they are still wet - without fast, effective treatment, stains can set in for good. Did you know that selected Miele washing machine models can treat up to 23 different types of stains – with up to three types of stains at the same time?
3. Minimise the use of chemicals
Many laundry detergents use nasty chemicals in their promises to blast away the dirt in our clothes. We often use more detergents than we need sending more chemicals into our waterways and rubbing up against our skin.
- Reduce chemical use – select more environmentally friendly laundry detergents.
- Reduce the need for dry cleaning (a chemical heavy process) by switching to a gentle or handwash cycle or choose a washer which can take care of delicate fabrics like silk or wool etc.
- Don’t overdose on detergents – did you know that Miele’s TwinDos system helps save up to 30% on detergent when compared to manual dispensing? [2]
4. Minimise your water and energy usage
The consumer-use stage drains so much energy that between 75-80% our clothing's entire lifecycle impact, from when the fibres are grown to when you dispose of it, comes from washing and drying alone. [3]
- Spot clean – you don't have to wash your garment every time you spill.
- Wash smarter – make sure you wash with full loads or use a machine that measures – did you know Miele’s machines use auto load size recognition to save the use of water and energy, customising the need to the amount of clothes you load by weight?
- Air dry to save energy – and reduce energy bills!
- Did you know Miele also have a PowerWash 2.0 system, which saves water and energy consumption – machines wash up to 40% [4] more efficiently than required for energy efficiency class A+++ – and even clean small loads energy efficiently. The secret: the innovative Spin&Spray washing technology enables very low water level usage, saving energy through heating.
Redress want to hear all about your most cherished items of clothing and how you care for them to keep them in action – share on social media and hashtag #getredressed
For more tips on reducing the impact of your wardrobe, Redress’ new book – Dress [with] Sense – is a consumer guide covering tips around the areas of Buy, Wear, Care and Dispose. Available at all good bookstores!
[1] Patent: EP 0 935 687
[2] According to examination Öko-Institut eV
[3] Marks & Spencer 2002, Streamlined Life Cycle Assessment of Two Marks & Spencer Apparel Products. [30 June 2015].
[4] Confirmed by independent experts: the renowned WfK Institute for Applied Research in Krefeld, Germany