Waste not want not

I'm very excited. I've just come back from a wander round Dennistoun where I live. I went into the Salvation Army charity shop and got a skirt, a top and a going out top and shrug thing for just over a tenner. How good is that? Ever since I've returned from Sri Lanka I've been so aware of our throwaway culture and I hate it.

When I first got back I remember walking round a clothes shop feeling slightly sick remembering my old shopping habits where I'd buy things on a whim whether I need them or not; where I would sometimes buy two of the same thing in different sizes to save me trying them on (and I NEVER took the wrong size back); and where I'd often forget I'd bought something until I discovered it in a drawer 6 months later.

People in Sri Lanka don't lead saintly lives but they do live on very little by not wasting and instead recycling everything. What would happen to the clothes in charity shops here if nobody bought them? They'd be chucked in the bin and replaced with more of the same made God knows where by God knows who earning God knows how many buttons.

I am not cured of this throwaway materialistic sickness, not by a long shot. But I'm still, nearly a year after returning from Sri Lanka, very aware of it, still keeping it under control and still going for improvement. Buying great clothes at excellent prices in charity shops is a start. But I want to find out more about which of our shops are the worst offenders when it comes to using sweat shops. If I'm going to spend money on new stuff I want to make sure my conscience is clear. It's one of those things you know you ought to know already but it's never too late to learn. I'll keep you posted!

Incidentally the photo is not particularly related to this post but I promised these wee girls in Sri Lanka that I'd put them on my blog someday! What I like about the photo is the contrast between the drabness of the house and their beautiful lit up little faces.