POSITIVELY DKC | FULFILLING THE 7Rs OF FASHION

The 7Rs of Fashion are principles designed to guide the fashion industry towards more sustainable and ethical practices. These go beyond the 3R’s: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. These principles encourage consumers and businesses alike to adopt behaviors and strategies that minimize waste, reduce environmental impact, and promote a circular economy.

1. Reduce: This principle focuses on reducing consumption and waste. It encourages both consumers and manufacturers to buy and produce less, opting for quality over quantity. By reducing the demand for fast fashion, the industry can lower its environmental footprint.

2. Reuse: Emphasizing the value of extending the life of clothing, this principle encourages consumers to buy second-hand, swap clothes with others, and donate garments they no longer need. Reusing items helps to keep them out of landfills and reduces the need for new production.

3. Recycle: When clothing can no longer be worn, recycling ensures that materials are reprocessed into new products. This can include turning old garments into new textiles or other products, reducing the need for virgin materials.

4. Repair: Rather than discarding clothes that are damaged or worn, this principle advocates for repairing them. Learning to mend garments or taking them to a tailor can significantly extend their lifespan and reduce waste.

5. Repurpose: This involves creatively reusing old clothing or textiles for new purposes. For example, turning an old shirt into a tote bag or using fabric scraps for patchwork projects. Repurposing helps to make use of materials that might otherwise be discarded.

6. Rent: The concept of renting clothing, especially for items that are seldom worn, such as special occasion outfits, helps reduce the demand for new garments. Clothing rental services provide access to a wide variety of styles without the environmental cost of production.

7. Reimagine/Resale: This principle encourages the fashion industry to rethink and innovate sustainable models supporting resale. By innovating and rethinking the resale business model to make it more accessible and appealing. This could include developing user-friendly platforms, ensuring transparent and fair pricing, and creating engaging marketing campaigns that highlight the environmental and economic benefits of buying second-hand.

At DKC we integrate the 7Rs deeply into our business so that we can contribute to a more sustainable and ethical fashion industry.