Too busy to read?

As individual consumers, __the single best thing we can do for the planet is to keep our stuff in use longer__. This simple act of extending the life of our garments through proper care and repair reduces the need to buy more over time--thereby avoiding the carbon dioxide emissions, waste output, and water usage required to build the new products.

There is a lovely Native American proverb that states that we do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.

__The most responsible way for a consumer and a good citizen to buy clothes is to buy used clothing__. Beyond that, avoid buying clothes you have to dry-clean or iron. Wash in cold water. Line dry when possible. Wear your shirt more than one day before you wash it. Consider faster-drying alternatives to 100 percent cotton for your travel clothes.

Out of 1320 kcal wasted per person per day, 48% is cereals. That's enough calories to feed everyone in China and America. Nearly two thirds of all losses occur in harvest or just afterwards, in storage. After dietary change away from eating too much meat and dairy, cutting waste is probably the next most important way to ensure there is enough nutrition to go round.