Who doesn’t love to shop?  Clothing is a necessity, but many people shop in excess, me included.  Although it is very tempting to splurge on a great deal, its important to learn the benefits of shopping ethically and staying away from fast fashion. Some easy ways to avoid fast fashion are to shop locally, read into the details of the companies that you are buying from, shop second hand, and buy fewer clothes.  Another huge way to shop ethically is to try and stay away from buying lots of clothing that has animal fur or leather because the very raising of the animals, produces mass amounts of pollution and, especially with cows, emissions of greenhouse gases.  Lots of fast fashion companies make clothing with all different types of chemicals and plastic components in their materials, which leads to lots of pollution on the earth.  Buying clothes with cotton bases is very smart and much better for the environment. It is super important when shopping for clothes to choose items of quality, instead of quantity.  Like mentioned before, researching what materials your clothing is made of and what each company stands for is key to being an ethical shopper.  Challenge yourself to make a change in your clothing for the better!

This article originally appeared in The Alethea.