As the brisk autumn weather begins to set in, students may be preparing to swap out the clothes in their wardrobe to prepare for cooler weather. This time of year brings an excellent opportunity for students to assess their closets and determine what clothing they can donate to make a sustainable impact on Temple and the Philadelphia community.
The United States generates around 17 million tons of textile waste annually and 66% of unwanted clothes end up in our landfills, according to TheRoundup, a sustainability activism website. Clothing and textiles sent to landfills can take decades to decay, which releases harmful greenhouse gasses into the air and accelerates climate change.
To mitigate these dangers, students should make a conscious effort to practice sustainability through ethical shopping and clothing donation rather than just discarding their clothes. Temple’s campus and the surrounding Philadelphia area have many sustainability outlets students can utilize to revamp their wardrobes while practicing climate consciousness and providing clothing to those in need.
Mel Spiegel believes practicing sustainability is important for college students as they step into adulthood.
“It’s a lot of people’s first time being independent,” said Spiegel, a senior media studies and production major. “And so when you start having good habits, and especially habits that help the environment when you’re young, then it’s like just built into your adult life as you continue to grow.”
Individuals do not wear nearly 50% of their wardrobes, Vogue reported. People often ignore perfectly wearable clothes sitting untouched in a closet, contributing to the common cycle of overconsumption.
Instead of leaving clothing unused, students can pass it on to others, giving them new purpose and reducing wastefulness. Students should go through their clothes and consider donating the items they rarely wear on campus or at a local thrift store before purchasing new items.
On campus, the Sustainability Office hosts events and creates opportunities for students to practice sustainable living. Each residence hall lobby has a clothing and food donation bin that accepts donations year-round. In the spring, those clothes are taken and resold for low prices at Temple Thrift pop-ups the following fall.
Philadelphia is also home to other donation-based non-profits, like Cradles to Crayons, which provide clothing for local families and children. Other options around Philadelphia include Career Wardrobe, Philly AIDS Thrift and Project HOME. The City of Philadelphia website also provides a list and accompanying map of local resources for textile donation so students can choose the most convenient spot to recycle old clothing.
Bryce Forys, the sustainability coordinator for the Office of Sustainability, believes clothing donation is one of the best ways for students to help the environment.
“[Textile waste is] a huge issue here in the United States in terms of types of materials that end up in the landfill, and being able to recognize what you no longer want or need and donate them, that would hopefully end up in the hands of someone else that for a cheap and reasonable price, I think is a great part of the circular process,” Forys said.
Microtrends also pose a significant threat to clothing sustainability, driven largely by social media constantly advertising new products. Most of Gen Z turns to social media for fashion inspiration and are highly susceptible to fast fashion marketing from retailers like Shein, Romwe and the TikTok Shop.
Clothing from fast fashion companies only lasts around 10 wears and 15 days on average, The Washington Post reported. Even though buying cheap clothing may seem like a way to save money, it generates a bigger financial waste because they are discarded so quickly. It’s much more financially and environmentally sustainable to go thrifting or buy ethically made clothing.
Jadyn Gibson has taken advantage of on-campus clothing donation opportunities like thrift pop-ups and believes other students should do the same to implement more ethical habits.
“I think it’s important to be more sustainable on campus,” said Gibson, a senior anthropology major. “Because some people come from different economic backgrounds, and being on a campus that’s so diverse like Temple, it just makes you realize, if you have it, then why not just give back?”
There are various opportunities for students to practice sustainable living on campus. Something as easy as donating old clothing can significantly reduce waste, support the sustainability of Temple’s campus and help those in need. Practicing sustainability through these pathways can help students develop necessary ethical habits as they grow into adulthood, preparing them to contribute to their community positively.
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