BY FELICE LOK

Oxfam’s Second Hand September challenge is encouraging consumers to reduce their fashion footprint through responsible consumption. 

The challenge encourages people to purchase only second hand clothing and to donate pre-loved clothing throughout the 30 days of September. 

Now running in its third consecutive year, Second Hand September has encouraged participants to share their pre-loved finds with #SecondHandSeptember, which has currently garnered more than 146,000 tags on Instagram.

For Melbourne-based slow fashion advocate Maggie Zhou, the challenge has been different with physical op shops and thrift stores closed under current lockdown restrictions. 

“I'm kind of taking the Second Hand September challenge to the next level and not really buying any new clothes at all,” Ms Zhou said. 

“It's still nice to have that ability to shop secondhand online… but it’s already been half a month that I haven’t even noticed I’m doing this challenge,” she said. 

As part of the challenge, Ms Zhou has also turned down PR clothing and accessories, often gifted to her as an influencer.

However, taking part in a month-long fashion sustainability challenge has been a first for Ms Zhou. 

“I think… challenges like [month-long pledges] used to freak me out so much,” she said. 

“I think this commitment to a long period of time, when it comes to sustainability, can be super daunting for people.”

For people who are hesitant about the challenge, Ms Zhou suggested taking “small, conscious and mindful changes”.

“Second Hand September, I think, has a really great role of encouraging consumers to just sit down, think about their purchases, and reflect on whether they actually want something,” Ms Zhou said. 

“It helps bring a consciousness to all fashion choices regardless of whether it’s fast fashion or not,” she said. 

“You don't need to completely change your life around. Slow steps are good steps.”

Oxfam GB revealed in a media statement the textile industry contributed 10 per cent of global greenhouse emissions. Chief Executive Danny Sriskandarajah said everyone had a part to play in alleviating the climate crisis. 

“Choosing second-hand is one way we can leave a lighter footprint on the planet while sending a message to retailers that we want them to slow down fashion,” the statement read. 

A 2020 report from Monash Sustainable Development Institute (MSDI) revealed 6000 kilograms of clothing and textiles are deposited to landfill every 10 minutes in Australia. 

MSDI Project Manager Julie Boulton said prolonging the life of clothing is fundamental to reducing fashion waste.

“We need to continue to use, for as long as possible, what already exists,” Ms Boulton said.

“If we constantly get rid of these things and make more of them, we’re not doing the right thing for our planet at all,” she said.

Ms Boutlon encourages people to partake in Second Hand September as it promotes responsible consumption of fashion. 

UN Sustainable Development Goal 12 (SDG 12) – responsible production and consumption – has been at the forefront of Ms Boulton’s research on fashion sustainability. 

In the fashion industry, SDG 12 is about engaging in sustainable fashion production practices and responsible consumption and use of clothing by consumers. 

“To me, responsible production and consumption is the most important [SDG]… it’s at the centre of everything,” Ms Boulton said. 

“That being said, the world in general is not doing enough on SDG 12,” she said. 

Ms Boutlon said, when consuming fashion, consumers should always ask how their actions “live up to [their] part of SDG 12”.

“If we just keep buying at the rate we’re buying, we’re consuming way too many resources,” she said. 

“We all have to take responsibility for how we’re producing and how we’re consuming.”

In 2018, the UN launched the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Change with the goal of driving the fashion industry to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. 

The signatories include companies like Burberry, H&M and Target, and encourages other organisations to join and commit to more sustainable fashion production. 

As the climate crisis deepens, both fashion manufacturers and consumers have a role to play in decreasing their fashion footprint through initiatives such as this.