Global Recycling Day and Sustainable Shopping

March 18th is global recycling day. A day dedicated to highlighting the importance of raising awareness around the effect excessive use of natural resources will have on the world and generations to come and putting in the forefront of our minds how important it is to think before we throw something away.

Living more sustainably can be displayed in many ways, mainly by practicing good recycling habits, eliminating the engagement in fast-fashion and unethical brands, waste management or maybe even demonstrated simply by car sharing to work with your colleagues.

Positive Changes within the Fashion Industry

However, the demand for more unessential, personal items, such as fashion or home furnishings, is ever growing. This is demonstrated in the fashion industry with fashion houses highlighting the importance of living in a way that benefits both us and future generations, along with the bigger picture – the planet. For example, brands including Gucci, Levi’s, Zara, Louis Vuitton, and many more have made a conscious effort to push sustainability to their customers via the way they source, manufacture, and ethically process these materials during all the steps before the items reach the market. With the presence these brands have within the industry, they can influence audiences on huge scales. We are seeing other brands follow their lead as fast fashion is commonly recognised as the second most polluting industry in the world, closely following the gas and oil sector. Whilst making these positive changes in your life can be helpful, it isn’t limited to buying designer brands as there are plenty of other and more affordable ways to make this positive change to your lifestyle.

The Benefits of Auction Houses

Buying from auction houses has more benefits than just saving you money with each purchase, due to the stock type i.e. ex-displays, out of season and pre-loved goods, auction houses in particular, have the ability to sell items of high quality including plenty of sought after items, for less. This opens a channel for stock that may never sell or get used and may be thrown out or wasted to re-enter the market for another potential purchase.

Ethical Shopping and Sustainable Choices

When contributing to a more ethical way of purchasing goods – creating a healthier more sustainable price per use ratio, it is important to consider the lasting effect of your purchase – we spend money on items that soon go out of fashion/don’t go with the rest of our outfits/doesn’t match our other accessories etc. so considering the long term when purchasing more high-end items is crucial. Another key benefit of buying through auction is you’re exposed to the ‘off-the-shelf’ aesthetic of purchasing bags, but for a much lower cost – so you don’t need to feel the guilt of maybe not using your item every day! Upcycling goods via auction, charity shops, second hand shops and even up and coming mobile apps such as Vinted, eBay and Depop to resell your clothing, shoes, accessories, and furniture all supports this powerful movement, and the more people that adapt to this more sustainable way of living, it will allow us to reduce, reuse and recycle in every part of life.

To find out more and view our luxury auctions click here.