Sustainable Fashion: A Step Towards a Cleaner and Greener Future
The world’s fashion industry produces over 100 billion garments each year. Unfortunately, over 101 million tons of these garments end up in landfills, as per a report by earth.org. The fashion industry’s negative impact is not limited to waste alone; fast fashion has many detrimental effects that include animal suffering, water pollution, carbon emissions, and toxic byproducts. It is essential to ensure products are distributed in a way that minimizes fossil fuel emissions, but this is often difficult when clothes are shipped globally.
The good news is that sustainable fashion offers a great solution to these problems. Sustainable fashion is a movement that embraces clothing recycling, along with many other practices that promote the environmental and social responsibility of the fashion industry. Its core ethos is to create a cleaner and greener future through ethical and sustainable fashion practices.
Thrift Stores: The Future of Fashion
As a community, it’s our responsibility to promote sustainable fashion practices. Thrifting and buying local are the steps we can take towards ensuring that we minimize our carbon footprint. By purchasing pre-owned clothing, you can give these items a second life and reduce the number of clothes that end up in landfills. Plus, it’s a great way to save money while also supporting small businesses.
Here are some thrift stores and consignment shops that promote inclusive fashion, support social causes, and, most importantly, promote sustainability in Bethlehem.
The 330 Thrift
Michele Jurkowski owns The 330 Thrift, a resale boutique located at 1421 Center St in Bethlehem. This store sells men’s and women’s clothing, shoes, and accessories of a large size range between $3 and $10, and much of the inventory is composed of pieces from her own wardrobe, donations from family and community members, and used items she purchased. Sustainability is one of Michele’s main reasons for owning the store.
According to Jurkowski, clothing is one of the biggest things that go into landfills, and it takes over 40,000 years for it to disintegrate. Consequently, reselling is very good for our economy. In addition, everything in the boutique is recycled, including a cabinet she garbage picked and refinished.
The Attic
The Attic, located at 516 Main St. in Bethlehem, sells and accepts consignment pieces. Michele Osztrosits, general manager of The Attic, said the consigner of any sold item receives 50% of the profit from their item. Items that are not picked up during the 60-day consignment period are given to charity organizations to ensure no clothing goes to waste. The Attic offers a unique and diverse collection of items that usually fall between $7 and $20.
My Sister’s Closet
My Sister’s Closet, located on Nazareth Pike, is a resale boutique that uses all its proceeds to fund Bloom, an organization that provides emergency shelter and rehabilitation for victims of sexual trafficking and sexual exploitation in the Lehigh Valley. All the clothing at My Sister’s Closet has been donated, and the shop allows survivors to pick out clothing on visits to the store. The shop sells jewelry made by one survivor, too.
Swap Shop
The Lehigh community does not even have to leave campus to find sustainable fashion opportunities. The Office of Sustainability hosts the Swap Shop, a free thrift shop where students can donate their clothing. The Swap Shop also hosts a range of events, such as donation drives, pop-up events, and DIY upcycling events to inform people about the harm caused by fast fashion and how eco-friendly clothing practices can make a difference.
Conclusion
Sustainable fashion is an essential step towards a cleaner and greener future. The fashion industry’s negative impact on the environment has gone on long enough, and it’s time for a change. Thrift stores and consignment shops are just some of the many ways we can promote sustainable fashion practices. By promoting sustainable fashion, we can embrace a greener lifestyle that is environmentally and socially responsible. So the next time you’re in the market to purchase new clothing, consider buying second-hand. You’ll be making a positive impact on the environment and your community.
