This Earth Day SuperLooper founder Jenny Barrett shares how being a SuperLooper can help the earth breathe again!
During the Covid lockdown, the world stopped - hardly any cars on the roads, ships on the seas or planes in the sky, and much of big industry ground to a halt. The Earth could breathe again and their air was good!
We may have missed the company of others but we soon adapted to not having to buy lots of new clothes to wear - there was no point because we weren’t going out!
What is a Superlooper?
We reflected on what we actually need to make our lives tick along, and for many, me included, there was a realisation that we have too much stuff which we simply don’t need and which sits unused in our cupboards - what a waste of money and resources!
Around that time it was becoming well known that the fashion industry, particularly fast fashion, was having a hugely toxic effect on the planet. SuperLooper was launched in 2020, and it felt like the right time to offer a way of sharing great clothes already in existence.
At SuperLooper we believe that reducing and reusing what we buy is a way of taking action and doing something (not nothing) to help stop the Earth from suffocating. Choosing to rent rather than own clothes that are only used a few times before being outgrown reduces the need to produce and buy more and more, and therefore cuts tonnes of CO2 being emitted into the environment. Whether you donate your outgrown clothes to the Loop, invest in using our service to rent and reuse preloved baby clothes, or if you just tell your friends and family to join us - you’re all playing a part in the joy of looping and changing how we do things.
Invest in our planet
Earth Day 2023 has ‘Invest In Our Planet’ as its theme. We’re asking you to choose to invest in creating a future where less clothes are made and more clothes are looped. To this end we've made it super easy to rent with our new curated ’Selections’ of clothes handpicked for you based on your style preferences and garment needs. We get to know you via our fun, user friendly questionnaires - once you’ve filled them in we do the rest! Gone are the days when sourcing pre-loved clothes means hours trawling charity shops or scrolling online!
Everyone can do something to make a difference by choosing how and what they consume - the way we travel, the energy we use to power our lives and the things we buy, eat and wear. So what are the other ways we can limit climate change and help our Earth breathe? If we take some form of action every day - we believe we can make a difference:
If we educate ourselves and others about the harmful effects our lives have on the planet and when we do, pass it on to friends, workmates, family and our kids the ripples will start to take effect. If you feel grossed out about everything being wrapped in plastic at the supermarket - tell them about it and tell them why you’re switching to your local plastic-free shop - in the end, they’ll have to listen!
Other ways to help the earth breathe
Here are some stats and facts presented by the United Nations:
Electronics, clothes and all the stuff we buy cause carbon emissions throughout their creation, production and delivery. So, buy fewer things, shop second-hand, repair and recycle what you can and keep things in use for as long as possible either by using yourself or sharing.
Every kilogram of textiles produced generates about 17 kilograms of CO2
Use renewable energy wherever you can - the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions from humans is from burning fossil fuels for electricity, heat and transportation can use less energy by lowering heating and cooling, switching to LED light bulbs and energy-efficient electric appliances, washing laundry in cold water and avoiding the tumble dryer if at all possible. Insulating your home.
‘Improving your home’s energy efficiency through better insulation, replacing oil or gas furnace with and electric heat pump can reduce your carbon footprint by up to 900 kilograms of CO2 per year. Switching your home from oil, gas or coal-powered energy to renewable sources of energy such as wind or solar can reduce your carbon footprint by up to 1.5 tonnes of CO2 per year
Walk, bike or take public transport more - and if you have a car, share it! Cut down on plane travel where ever you can. Living car-free can reduce your carbon footprint by up to 2 tonnes of CO2 per year compared to a lifestyle using a car’’Taking one less long-haul return flight can reduce your carbon footprint by up to almost 2 tonnes of CO2
Eat more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts and seeds and less meat and dairy - plant-based food production generally results in fewer greenhouse gas emissions and requires less energy, land and water. Eat local, eat organic and steer clear of processed food - it’s largely rubbish for your body and for the planet!
Switching from a mixed to a vegetarian diet can reduce your carbon footprint by up to 500 kilograms of CO2 per year (or up to 900 for a vegan diet)
Don’t waste good food - don’t buy so much in the first place - when you throw food away, you’re also wasting the resources and energy used to grow, produce, package and transport it. Rotting food produces methane so use what you buy and try composting leftovers. Cutting your food waste can reduce your carbon footprint by up to 300 kilograms of CO2 per year’
Shop as a citizen rather than a consumer! Everything we spend money on has an effect on the planet - you can choose which goods and services you support and this is a HUGE super power that we all have! Choose non-toxic chemicals for cleaning your house and home.
And don’t forget to plant trees if you can either at home or with organisations like Tree Sisters.
Taking action to positively impact climate change is on all of us, we can’t do it alone but we can definitely do it together - let’s JUST DO IT and help the Earth breathe again!
