Winning and Losing at Organic & Second Hand September

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The summer holidays are over! I’m welcoming September and the changes it brings. Time to reflect on the year so far, and time to get on with some more work, as my five year old started Year One earlier this week. September is the start of a new school year, and a great time to make some positive lifestyle changes. Perhaps you are trying #ZeroWasteWeek or joining #OrganicSeptember or #SecondHandSeptember?

If you haven’t heard of these last two campaigns, there’s still plenty of time to get on board! Read on to find out about The Green Shopper’s own successes and failures…

The Soil Association run the #OrganicSeptember campaign every year. You can download a digital toolkit, find out about local events and get some great recipes on their Organic September web page. It’s always good to support local farmers and smallholders, so ask around to find out where you can get locally grown organic produce. If you haven’t got an easily accessible organic farm nearby, Riverford deliver organic food across the UK. Find out about their organic fruit and veg delivery here.*

This year, I’ve been growing vegetables with my son for the first time. Our garden is tiny, but a kind neighbour lets us use his compost heap and has given us a few beds to use. We have had mountains of peas, hundreds of green beans and a small forest of corn. My boy loves helping with the harvest and I feel so glad to be back out in the garden.

 

Oxfam have started the #SecondHandSeptember* campaign this year. If you’ve got 1 minute to spare, watch and share this film by graphic artist Anthony Burrill.

  • “Every week 11 million items of clothing end up in landfill. Throwaway fashion is putting increasing pressure on our planet and its people – it’s unsustainable. Now there’s something you can do to help. Join Second Hand September and pledge to say no to new clothes for 30 days.”

If you found the Extinction Rebellion XR52 #BoycottFashion pledge a bit daunting (no new clothes for a whole year!) you can take Oxfam’s pledge to go second hand for 30 days. Surely everyone can manage that?**

If you’re into online shopping and in need of a particular item this September, don’t despair – there are lots of ways to buy amazing second hand clothes online! Here are a few ideas:

*If you buy something after clicking a link with an asterisk, The Green Shopper makes a teeny tiny commission from the sale which will be used to support the running costs of this site.

**Gah! I bought some last-minute new socks for my five year old’s school uniform. Doh! But on the plus side, they are 100% organic cotton, so at least they fit in to the #OrganicSeptember category. Best wait until 1st October to find them online at Natural Collection.* I do solemnly declare that from now until 1st October I will buy no new clothes. I promise.

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