Buy clothes that go with lots of other pieces in your wardrobe, not that one top that only goes with one pair of pants. If you can’t think of more than a couple ways you can wear something, then don’t buy it: )

I buy my clothes at the used goods store here, or if I need something specific I go to a store that has great environmental policies and sells mostly organic cotton clothing. When I’m at home (most of the time with the kids) I wear comfy clothes, and only put on my ‘good’ clothes to go out. That way I don’t need as many clothes, or do as much laundry (which I wash in cold and hang to dry of course).

I recently lost the lid to one of my Tupperware containers. Instead of being tossed in the recycle, it is a new water dish for my cats.

May sound like a bit of a no-brainer, but don’t wash your clothes until they are dirty. Blue Jeans can be worn more than once. If you ran a 5k in that outfit, then yeah, it needs to see some soap, but if you wore a shirt for 6 hours of sitting at a desk in a climate controlled office building, then it’s probably good to go back on a hanger, not in the hamper.

It’s not very chic, but it’s true. Most people err WAY far on the side of caution when it comes to re-wearing. It rankles some people’s sense of propriety and hygiene to take clothes off and not immediately put them in the “Dirty” pile, but push yourself. Your friends and colleagues will probably not even notice. (Many of them will be re-wearing their own clothes!) If YOU notice, and feel “icky”, try some Febreeze, or off-brand (or DIY) equivalent. That may help you overcome the psychological hurdle.

I tend to take this toward the “unwashed hippie” extreme, which I am sure is not chic, but I save a ton of water and energy, and I sleep easy at night.

for some of us, hair and body products are a must (or a really, really big want) - so buy local and/or organic and of course not tested on animals. choose products that contain ingredients that you recognize and can identify their sources (skip the chemicals). these products are usually quite effective and often very yummy feeling plus you’ll be putting better things on your body and not rinsing off icky things into the waterways.

i personally love Aveda products (green ingredients, responsible packaging & wind-energy powered) as well as dr. bronner’s soap.

Go through your mother’s or grandmother’s closets and ask for old purses, sweaters, scarves, jewelry, etc. that they don’t want. Wear it and brag that it’s “vintage” when people want to know where to get it!

I get more complements from these items than anything new that I buy!

Reuse! Have some clothing that doesn’t fit right, but you love the fabric? If it can’t be altered to suit you, turn it into throw pillows, a tote bag, a headband, curtains, a quilt… you name it! (Of course, giving it away to a friend or a secondhand shop is also a good way to reuse.)

I’ve also heard of groups of friends getting together, all bringing the clothes that don’t fit or that they don’t like to wear anymore. Everyone gets to go through each others’ stash to pick out what they like — you get rid of your unwanteds, and get a new wardrobe in exchange!

I’m not just saying this because I live in the SF Bay Area where this technique is required to deal with the changing weather, but my BEST green style tip is LAYERING!! I wear slips with skirts or dresses, and camisoles or tank tops every single day under whatever else I’m wearing, even a t-shirt. Wearing slips saves wear and tear on dresses/skirts, because it gives the fabric a smooth surface to move against. If you spill hot tea on yourself, it also gives you something to wear in the ladies’ room as you clean up! For shirts, wearing a camisole or tank top helps keep the oils from your skin from penetrating your clothing, keeping it cleaner longer (see the tip above about not washing your clothes every single time you wear them). It also helps with keeping you warmer so you need less heat in the room. And the shirt will also hang better. And if you wear button downs that tend to pop open if you put your messenger bag strap across them, the tank also preserves your modesty until you can fix it.

I think these tips have really extended the life of my clothing.

Buy well made shoes. They are more expensive but they’re also more comfortable and should last decades since you can repair the sole when it wears out. Then you don’t have to buy as many and you’ll always look super fabulous.

You can wash your hair with organic lemons to get out grease and build up, instead of the shampoo :) Lemons don’t use as much waste (like containers, factories, formulas) , it’s just all natural and makes my hair come out all super silky smooth.
Also, before throwing out old panties, you can cut the sides open and use them as a sewing “pattern” to make some new cool panties out of old clothes that you no longer wear.
And the most important, is I have a Donate Rule : Anything I don’t use for 6 months (not counting seasonal items) is something I don’t need and I donate it to a local thrift or Women’s shelter. This keeps me from collecting & cluttering- which saves space… in my mind & my house :)

Not only do I go to a green dry cleaner, but, like cat147, I change into pajamas/lounging clothes as soon as I walk in the door, so I can re-wear my work clothes many, many times (maybe too many) before I need to get them cleaned. Actually, I wear pretty much all of my clothes multiple times before washing them (underwear and socks are notable exceptions). It saves time and money in addition to its environmental benefits.

I do not buy any newspapers but do have a magazine subscription. I live in a condo and exchange the magazines for her newspapers with my next door neighbor (we just drop them outside the door when we are finished looking at them).

People in our building also have a mini-freecycle going. We have laundry rooms on each floor and leave odds and ends prominently displayed in either the laundry room (one on each floor) or in the main trash room. I picked up a wonderful door for my kitchen and several smaller pieces in these treasure troves.

As I use packing materials in my business, I notified neighbors via laundry room signs that I’d be happy to take their unused packing peanuts and bubble wrap and have collected a good supply from them. People leave them in bags and boxes outside my door.

When I need a book I buy from my local used book stores. I think the books have more character than buying them new. :) You can find the more interesting editions this way.

You can find interesting accessories in thrift/second hand/antique shops. I love shopping at these places for gifts. I never have to worry the item is something they already have and they’re pleased to be wearing something unique that nobody else is wearing.

I hate for things to be thrown away when someone else can enjoy them.

Please, oh please, recycle batteries and electronics. Radio Shack will take batteries and also compact florescent bulbs. Here’s a link that discusses where to send old computers.

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