Ins and out are all the rage on podcasts at the start of 2024. We thought we’d join in the fun with our own list of things that are in and out in the world of sustainability. As we inch closer to 2030 and try to reach the targets of the UN Sustainable Development Goals it’s more important than ever to change our behaviours and our thinking to help make a better world.
In
Buying no clothes: Fashion stylist, Jenna Flood is on a mission to buy no clothes in 2024. Not no new clothes but no clothes whatsoever. According to a Sydney Morning Herald article from 2023, the average Australian buys 56 items of clothing a year. 2024 then is the year to say no more to retail therapy and start using what we already own. In Get rich or lie trying the author estimates that 300 000 tonnes of fast fashion are discarded each year and less than 1% are recycled. We don’t need to be adding to that!
Out
Buy nothing new: For a long time it was enough to justify our spending on fashion if we shopped at markets or op shops and bought recycled clothing. While this is definitely a good idea and promotes sustainability, I think in 2024 we can do better. It’s time to really challenge our spending and try buying no new clothes at all. Fashion is fun but it’s also a major contributor to world wide waste and pollution.
In
Podcasts which tackle climate change and sustainability: My favourite podcast is Wardrobe Crisis hosted by Clare Press. I’ve seen (or rather heard) Clare’s podcast go from strength to strength over the three years I’ve been listening. She interviews fascinating and compelling guests who talk about ways to take part in sustainable fashion and how to make better choices with our money. So, like buying nothing new, this podcast encourages us to really examine our relationship to the fashion industry and that’s what makes it such a great listen that I’m sure 2024 will only bring more success.
Out
Podcasts about celebrity gossip: In 2023 my guilty pleasure was listening to Out Loud, a Mamamia podcast. The hosts are a combination of vacuous ex-magazine editors and celebrity writers who like to paint themselves as ordinary when in fact they have enormous wealth and beauty privilege and their podcast stands for nothing but fickle gossip. I predict (or at least I hope) that in 2024 we will see podcasts like this plunge in popularity while audiences seek out more down to earth hosts who really care about fighting climate change and helping protect the future of our planet.
In
Books written by scientists: I’m in a reserve queue at Brisbane City Libraries to read what I think will be one of the most popular releases of 2024, Not the end of the world by Hannah Ritchie. This is a book about climate change and sustainability that is written by an actual scientist! I think 2024 will see more scientists weigh in on how we can help the state of the earth and see popular science become a much sought out genre.
In
Books written by scientists: I’m in a reserve queue at Brisbane City Libraries to read what I think will be one of the most popular releases of 2024, Not the end of the world by Hannah Ritchie. This is a book about climate change and sustainability that is written by an actual scientist! I think 2024 will see more scientists weigh in on how we can help the state of the earth and see popular science become a much sought out genre.
Out
Books written by media personalities and influencers: By this I mean specifically anything written by Sarah Wilson or the handful of Instagram influencers who promote a zero waste lifestyle while making millions of dollars flying around the world. Like the hosts of Out Loud, these are not every day people. I predict that in 2024 we’ll fall out of love with influencers and start courting scientists instead
In
Volunteering your time: It’s one thing to throw cash at a problem it’s another to roll up your sleeves and lend a hand. As we start to think about ways to not only help the planet but to combat the modern epidemic of loneliness, I predict that we will see more people volunteering for causes, particularly for organisations like Greenpeace and Clean Up Australia (both of whom I can recommend volunteering with!)
Out
Donating money: As the cost of living crisis escalates in 2024 I think we’ll see less people donating money and more people donating time. As someone with over 14 volunteer experiences on my LinkedIn resume, I can attest that volunteering helps with social connection and research has proven that it makes you happier too! So rather than giving money think about creative and sustainable ways you can use your time to volunteer for causes and charities that are helping to make our planet a better place to live.
This is an aspirational set of predictions. I hope at least some of them come true. I also hope it will help you to think about what you want to happen in 2024 and how to go about making your hopes into realities.
By Anne Reddacliff, ALIA Sustainable Libraries Group committee member
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