Okay, so this might be a bit of a hot take, but it's something I have been thinking about more and more lately.
I'm a student, which means that right now I'm not the most well off. However, I recognise the privilege I have of my parents being able to pay my rent, as well as coming from a loving family who would support me if I truly was struggling financially. Some people are not this lucky.
I am able to make the choice to buy sustainable products, even when they may be more expensive, whilst some people may not be.
Whilst you and I may be able to argue that buying a £25 water bottle from Chilly's, or a £22 menstrual cup will work out cheaper in the long run than buying the disposable alternatives, for some that's not an option. When your weekly budget is the price of one sustainable product, the choice is easy. You will choose the option that will keep you afloat and out of debt.
Frustrated, I googled "affordable sustainable brands" and came across a website called "Sustainably Chic" and this article:
Hoping to find some ethical and sustainable brands I could actually afford, I scrolled through the websites she had listed. I don't know what most people define as affordable, but spending £54.90 on a plain grey jumper?? That's not affordable.
You may argue "Well you can save!" which is all fine until you get a flat tyre, or desperately need a repair and suddenly all those savings are gone.
For sustainability to become more widespread, I believe there needs to be some serious changes in making it accessible to everyone. Whilst there maybe some things that are cheaper or equal to the price of the their disposable/unethical/unsustainable alternatives, when it comes to clothing, fast fashion is winning out as most people can't afford to fill their wardrobes with these £54 items.
So in the end, what do you choose? The planet, or your ability to live?
Cover photo by Teegan Egerton <https://www.teeganegerton.com/>
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