If you're someone who loves plugging into a podcast on your weekly runs or commute to work, then listen up. Sure, you might usually opt for Diary of a CEO or Off Menu, but there's a new podcast launching this week which gets my personal seal of approval.
Often, podcasts relating to sustainability can feel a little overwhelming, serious, or, well, depressing. Trust me, I should know - I'm the Senior Sustainability Editor here at Marie Claire UK, so have listened to a fair few in my time.
That's where the new SATCoL podcast, The Sustainable Conversation, comes in, a brand-new offering where leaders in the fashion sphere chat candidly about how you can make your wardrobe that bit more sustainable.
Now more than ever, it's absolutely vital that we're having these important conversations and educating ourselves on the steps we need to take to build a better tomorrow. What better place to start than with our own wardrobes, and the clothes we choose to wear day in, day out?
Podcasts have the power to inspire positive change - and this one is worth having on your radar.
Introducing SATCoL's new podcast, The Sustainable Conversation
You'll likely have heard of the Salvation Army Trading Company, otherwise known as SATCoL. The largest charity-owned textiles collector in the UK, they're doing an amazing job of encouraging the reuse and recycling of secondhand fashion through their 240 charity shops and network of clothing banks across the UK.
Fun fact: did you know they're the largest charity-owned textiles collector in the UK? Case in point: each year, SATCoL diverts over 250 million items to good uses, including over 62,000 tonnes of textiles. Let that sink in for a minute.
Not just that, but thanks to the support of the British public, SATCoL has donated tens of millions of pounds to The Salvation Army to help its work with vulnerable people impacted by modern slavery, homelessness, and more in the UK (just over £80 million has been donated in the last ten years alone).
For 2023, they've launched their first ever podcast, The Sustainable Conversation, with the hope of encouraging you at home to have more - yep, you guessed it - sustainable conversations. The aim of the podcast is simple: to raise awareness of the impact second-hand fashion can have both socially and economically. As someone who's bought no new clothes all year, I can second this - championing secondhand clothes and making the most of the wardrobe items you already own is the way forward.
Keen to learn more about how you can live more sustainably, support sustainable initiatives, and be part of environmental change? Then this one's for you.
Why should you give it a listen? In short, because they've enlisted some of the best experts in the business to discuss everything from environmental justice, to fast fashion, to secondhand style. I should know - I was asked to appear on the podcast and can't wait for you to listen. Taking a candid and conversational approach to climate change and the changes we all need to make to build a better tomorrow, we cover the simple, achievable ways you can shop less, give textiles a new lease of life, and more.
Your need to knows
Always striving to support the fashion industry and part of the change they'd like to see both socially and environmentally, SATCoL reached out to well-known experts in the fashion industry for this series.
First up on The Sustainable Conversation is UK-based journalist, broadcaster and environmental reporter on BBC1's The One Show, Lucy Siegle, well known for her devotion to nature and climate communications.
Other guests in the six-part series include:
- Sustainability Manager at John Lewis Partnership, George Barrett
- Ex-Style Editor at The Metro, Bel Jacobs
- Fashion Writer at Harpers Bazaar, Jess Davies
- Head of Environment and Sustainability at SATCoL, Majonne Frost
- Senior Health, Sustainability and Relationships Editor at Marie Claire UK, Ally Head.
You'll learn plenty of tips from the experts on bagging secondhand steals and extending the life cycle of your products, but also educate yourself on the importance of slow fashion, diverting items away from landfill, and wasting less.
Encouraging much needed conversation, the conversation aims to inspire a wider discussion about living more mindfully.
How to listen
Keen to give it a listen? The podcast featuring special guests is now available to stream on Spotify, Apple, YouTube, and SATCoL TV. To learn more about SATCoL, head to their website. To learn how you can donate visit, SATCoL.
