Hop on board for some second-hand style
A fun Hamilton op-shopping experience aims to get people thinking differently about fast fashion and the huge amount of clothing going to landfill.
Hamilton shoppers are being encouraged to swap fast fashion for op-shop finds with The Op Shop Bus Tour, an initiative that aims to put the fun back into sustainable shopping.
The Op Shop Bus Tour will take shoppers around the district’s opportunity shops this month as part of Slow Fashion September, while highlighting the environmental cost of New Zealand’s fast-fashion habits.
Slow fashion September is a month long annual event of sustainable fashion events, supported by Hamilton City Council, Waipā District Council and Waikato District Council.
About 180,000 tonnes of clothing and textile waste is sent to New Zealand landfills each year, according to One Planet.
Nicole Bradbury is the Waste Minimisation Programme Manager at Hamilton City Council. She is hoping to encourage others with the tour to shop more sustainably.
“Just because you stop wearing something and don’t love it anymore, doesn’t mean someone else won’t.”
She said the bus tour also helps to support local charities as each opportunity shop represents a different New Zealand charity.
“You’re doing good for the environment, but also for charity. Those are the key messages.”
Environmental educator, Nicola Turner, will be using the opportunity to share information on the tour about the impacts fast fashion has on New Zealand.
Turner also has an active social media presence where she posts different ideas for living more ‘simply’, as well as her website, Mainstream Green.
Slow Fashion September is held every year as a fun and encouraging way that makes you think about how you shop.
