How to stay sustainable following a clothing purchase
culthreads are crafted to last a lifetime.
Please participate in our mission post-purchase.
THE FACTS
By doubling use of a garment, its CO2 emissions drop 44% for its entire lifespan.
(Ellen MacArthur Foundation 2017)
Washing clothes releases 500,000 tons of microfibers into the ocean each year — the equivalent of 50 billion plastic bottles.
(WEF 2020)
The average American has been estimated to throw away around 37kg of clothes every year.
Product Care: Make your clothing last
Wash Less, wash alike and turn down the heat!
- Wash when necessary
- Wash at 30°C
- Reduce spinning
- Fill the washing machine adequately
- Don’t use a dryer
- For jackets, use a damp cloth to remove dirt instead
It’s better for both the planet and your clothes.
✅less washes and no dryer helps clothes last longer; keeping elasticity, shape, and colour AND it reduces energy use.
✅less micro-plastic fibres released into the environment.
- Washing clothes releases 500,000 tons of microfibers into the ocean each year — the equivalent of 50 billion plastic bottles.
- Some manufacturers use dyes that contain toxic chemicals and are harmful not only on your skin but also when they’re washed into the lakes and rivers, which affects the wider ecosystem. Read more about it here.
✅ You often only need 30°C. Higher temperatures damage clothes and use more energy.
- If everyone in Europe decreased their average laundry temperature by just 3°C, it would save more than 2,300 GWh per year. That’s equivalent to the electricity consumption of more than 300,000 people.
Use green dry-cleaning
Green dry-cleaning is the sustainable alternative to dry-cleaning.
Dry-cleaning involves processing clothes in a liquid solvent to remove soil and stains. The majority of dry cleaners still use perchloroethylene or "perc" today as their primary solvent.
“Perc” is a harmful solvent, which the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers both a health and environmental hazard.
Repair
Repair rather than replace.
In our fast fashion culture, we have gotten used to throwing things away and buying something new, instead of repairing what we already have. It’s simply just less effort (most of the time).
But, the environmental impact is huge. At culthread, we pride ourselves of being a slow fashion brand. If something’s gone wrong with your culthread, please think of how to repair it first.
Second Life
When it's time to move on, give your culthread a second life.
Sometimes, we change style. Sometimes, we change size. Sometimes, we just fall out of love with our clothes.
culthreads are long-lasting. It’s likely that if you want to move on, someone else might fall in love with it.
If you choose to break up with your culthread... please donate it to a worthy cause!
At culthread we are fans of Dress For Success, whose mission is to empower women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire and the development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.
Dress for Success has 145 affiliate locations in 25 countries and accepts donations of good quality women’s clothing. culthread supports Dress for Success with donations, and our founder was a Trustee on the Board of the London affiliate for three years.