Weston News

Upcoming Swap Shop Seeks to Combat Fashion’s Carbon Footprint

The textile industry is one of the world’s largest water consumers, second only to agriculture. According to the European Parliament, it takes 2700 liters of water to produce one t-shirt or enough water to supply one person for two and a half years! Water is used for dyeing and bleaching textiles, and water contaminated with harsh chemicals is disposed of in the ocean afterward. In addition to water consumption and pollution, the textile/fashion industry accounts for 10% of total greenhouse gas emissions. That’s more than all international flights and transport emissions combined.

What’s a sustainable alternative to buying clothing? Obtaining it secondhand.

Swapping clothing and thrifting extends the life of a piece of clothing, but buying secondhand is an excellent opportunity to find unique pieces of clothing. Buying second hand helps save resources and lowers the demand for mass-produced fast fashion clothing that’s not built to last. For those looking for a place to start or an opportunity to clear out their wardrobes from winter clothing, the Green Team is hosting a Swap Shop event.

To spread awareness about the impacts of the Fashion Industry, this Swap Shop will run for a week in the Senior Lounge. A week before the swap shop, Green Team will accept clothing donations outside the cafeteria. The Swap Shop will run using a token method: exchange clothing for tokens to use at the event (ex., Donate a sweater, receive a token to exchange for another top). Students can enter the Swap Shop during the lunch period and take clothing.

Do you wish to participate in the upcoming Swap Shop event? Keep an eye out for flyers with more information about participating. According to the 2017 report by the American Apparel Association, every person that buys secondhand clothing can prevent more than 500 pounds of carbon emissions every year. It reduces one’s water, waste, and carbon footprint by more than 80%.

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