THE INDIGO BELL

“There is no beauty in the finest cloth if it makes hunger and unhappiness.” 

Mahatma Gandhi 

My passion is to facilitate workshops to teach others how to upcycle their clothes in order to help change the way fashion is consumed and relieve the pressure on our planet and its people.

Ethical and sustainable clothing isn’t just an option, it’s a necessity because fashion is one of the world’s biggest polluters.

“Buy less, choose well & do it yourself!”  Vivienne Westwood 

 

My Vision

The Indigo Bell was launched in 2022 and created after a lifetime passion for teaching and sustainable living.

An interest in slow fashion with a particular love of op shopping, finding bargains, upcycling, and wearing uniquely different clothing has led to a desire to share ideas and knowledge.

The Indigo Bell offers a range of upcycling workshops that focus on teaching sustainability principles using various textile crafts.

Anyone interested in circular fashion who wants to become inspired can learn new upcycling skills to extend the life of their clothes and save them from landfill.

 

AUSTRALIA IS THE

2ND

HIGHEST CONSUMER

OF TEXTILES

PER PERSON

WORLDWIDE

 

AUSTRALIANS ARE CURRENTLY DISPOSING OF

6000

KILOS

OF FASHION WASTE EVERY 10 MINUTES. 

ON AVERAGE EACH AUSTRALIAN DISPOSES

OF

93% 

OF TEXTILES 

THEY BUY

IN AUSTRALIA

LESS THAN

7% 

OF TEXTILE

WASTE

 IS RECYCLED

Three Principles and Nine R’s of Circular Fashion 

Circular Fashion ditches the linear “take-make-waste” model and instead asks the industry to close the loop on production, including responsible manufacturing, use, and end-of-life for every garment. 

The fashion industry has a negative impact on the environment, with overproduction, waste and CO² emissions. Fashion’s colouring processes are the often-overlooked consequences.

The three main environmental impacts of the fashion industry’s dyeing processes are water waste, chemicals in groundwater and heavy metals contamination. But there are climate-friendly alternative dyes that exist.

Every year across the world, millions of tonnes of clothes are produced, worn, and thrown away.  This current process is linear.

Emma Watson, an English actor and activist is right when she says that “as consumers, we have so much power to change the world just by being careful in what we buy.”

Together we can change the linear nature of fashion and make it circular, help tackle the root causes of global challenges like climate change, pollution, biodiversity loss, and build an industry that designs clothing on the three principles of being used more, manufactured to be made again and made from safe and recycled or renewable fibres.

The Indigo Bell’s activities support the Three Principles and the 9Rs of Circular Fashion which define the major strategies to process unwanted textile and clothing in an eco-friendly way.

The Choices TO Make 

1. Refuse

Every year we buy more clothes than we need which results in many unworn clothes sitting idly in our wardrobes.

Refuse to purchase unnecessary and unsustainable garments and only buying clothes that can be worn again and again.

2. Rethink

Rethink ways to explore and share the sustainable processes that the rethinking makers of garments employed before making a choice to buy.

Once the piece of clothing has been intensively used, rethink ideas of sharing, distributing and donating to someone else.

3. Reduce

Fundamentally, the circular economy is about doing more with less. Look for brands that have increased their efficiency by researching and reducing the natural materials and resources used in clothing manufacture.

Try and choose brands that are experimenting with environmentally friendly fibres like hemp, linen, bamboo and ramie.

Keeping Clothing Out Of Landfill

4. Reuse

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Reuse clothing in good condition by exchanging or swapping with friends and family or at clothes swaps. This practice can help you play a part in saving the environment.

Buying clothing from Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, Etsy or other places like Op Shops can also save you money.

5. Repair

When an item of clothing is damaged, buying a new one is often  preferred because trying to repair seems too difficult.

Instead, consider mending or repairing the damaged items because the making of new products has a huge impact on the environment, climate, and the people producing the garments.

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6. Refurbish

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Refurbishing is the art of restoring an old garment to make it new and functional again and restoring it to its original condition.

Enhancing the refurbishment of garments can decrease the need for new materials, resulting in a reduction in waste and carbon emissions.

7. Remanufacture

Remanufacture is the making of a new item by utilising the best parts of a discarded second-hand garment.

During this process the exploitation of natural resources is reduced and better use is made of waste.

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8. Repurpose

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Repurposing discarded old clothes is achieved by finding another use for them by making them into a new item.

With repurposing, discarded goods can be given a new life to regain their value and reduce harmful effects of waste on the environment.

9. Recycle

Recycling of textiles from old clothing can be rescued and materials processed that would otherwise be thrown away in landfill.

The resulting materials may be used in many different crafts to make a new product.

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