Good Sorts

Making the Most of What You Have

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In December 2019, Sinan decided to try and get through 2020 without buying any new clothes. At that time, he was often shopping for the sake of it, particularly online, spending and collecting new items that on hindsight, he felt he didn’t really need.

A growing awareness of climate change and some research into the way textiles are produced and garments are manufactured led the Northern Tasmanian to rethink his shopping habits and set himself the ‘no new clothes’ goal for 2020.

And so it began, first by rediscovering what was already in his wardrobe and then by appreciating and re-using items to their fullest. A pair of work shoes recently wore out and rather than replacing them, he received his supervisor’s permission to switch to a similar pair already in his cupboard. Win-win!

Sinan says that the first month of not buying new clothes was the hardest, particularly breaking the almost-automatic habit of online scrolling and shopping, but early efforts reminded him of the bigger, long term benefits for the environment and for his wallet!

With this new perspective and the restrictions of COVID-19 taking hold, Sinan also shifted his attention to shopping locally with some savings from his ‘no new clothes’ pledge being diverted into his local bookstore. It’s a positive change that he is keen to continue.

His advice to others? Consider the implications of what you buy. Start conversations to raise awareness of what could be re-used and don’t think it requires extreme action because every bit helps.

Well done, Sinan – you’re a true Tassie good sort!

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