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Your garbage

S
This is an ugly post about stuff that used to be pretty.
Strolling around the streets of Pireaus, Gazi and Kifisia the past few months, I came across a lot of scenes like these. Since my camera is always in my handbag, I started documenting the mess and now I have ended up with an impossibly large folder. So you don't need them anymore. But, seriously, is their place in the garbage bin?
Research says that 85% of recyclable clothes are being needlessly thrown out (not my research, GLOBAL research). At the same time that some parts of the world (or this country) are deprived of the absolute necessities, some people throw their clothes and shoes in the garbage bins only to go and buy some more, new and trendy. Which sooner or later will end up in trash too, cause it's fast fashion baby.
Ok, you don't want them. Ok, you won't wear them any more. Fine. But is this the best you could think of? Don't we have any homeless people's shelters you could place them outside from? Couldn't you at least place them somewhere away from dangerously dirty garbage in case someone wants them? They are not furniture you know, you can't just disinfect them.
 Yeah, buy more, throw away more, so that giant companies can produce more and then we can all happily burry underneath our pretty garbage. Speaking of companies, you'd better read this.

"During her walks down 35th Street, Ms. Magnus said, it is more common to find destroyed clothing in the H & M trash. On Dec. 7, during an early cold snap, she said, she saw about 20 bags filled with H & M clothing that had been cut up" . (source: The NY Times)

You don't want to buy them? Fine. Nobody gets to wear them. And we will produce more that you'll wonna buy. And garbage grows...
Life in Athens is on her own mission to resist this. She is doing the 'Not Shop Project', documented in her blog, which translates to 365 days of wearing what she already owns. That's right, no shopping, check her out. And don't forget swishing.gr, I am sure when the girls were putting it together, they had all this in mind. It's been said before: "your trash may be someone else's treasure". (google it)
Just think before you throw away.
Some things have got to change.
S
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