Guest Post: Mckenzie Diep from Valley Christian’s Eco Club
I love finding bargains – especially on clothing. There were always good deals at cheap stores (even if they weren’t necessarily good quality), and I always looked forward to Black Friday. America’s shopping culture makes is so easy to become a shopaholic with its never-ending “sales” and unbelievably low prices. In fact, you don’t even have to get out of bed to pull out your credit card and keep buying (or, if you’re like me, keep “saving”). However, most of these cheap stores are “fast fashion” stores, which rely on outsourcing and bad working conditions in other countries to maximize on profit.
Nowadays, new clothing trends change weekly, forcing workers in sweatshops to make clothing even faster and for cheaper at the expense of their quality of life. These workers are mostly women who are being paid less than $3 a day, many dying from diseases related to the garment industry or from attempted protests for higher wages. Over 1,000 workers died in Dhaka, Bangladesh in the Rana Plaza collapse, when managers forced workers to keep working even when they pointed out cracks in the building. However, these outsourcing companies are desperate for business, and will continue working at lowering prices in order to allow Americans to buy items for even cheaper.

When clothes are this cheap, we start to see them as disposable, like a pack of gum. If there’s a stain, it’s fine because we can just buy a new one. This disposed clothing ends up in landfills or “donated.” In fact, about 84% of donated clothing ends up in landfills. “Unsellable” clothing is packaged in bundles and shipped to less developed countries, where people can purchase clothing from the floors of a “bend over street market.”
So, what can we do to help?

1. Buy Less Clothing
We buy an excess of clothing. In fact, over 25 billion pounds of clothing go to waste every year. Do we really need it? Try to rearrange your wardrobe or create new outfits with pieces you already own!

2. Buy from sustainable brands
Buy from sustainable brands instead of fast fashion brands such as H&M, Forever 21, Uniqlo, Topshop, and Zara. The power is in the consumers hands. If we stop buying, they stop making.

3. Thrift
Thrift!! Thrifting is a great way to save money and help the environment. You can purchase used clothing for a fraction of the price at your local thrift store or Goodwill. Any of the clothing they don’t sell gets thrown away.

4. Sell your clothes
Give clothes away to your friends, neighbors, or anyone wants them to ensure they are not being thrown away! Apps like Depop and Poshmark can help you sell clothing and make a profit. (follow our Depop: vchseco)

5. Upcycle or repair
Crop that shirt, patch up that rip! There are so many easy ways to make your old clothes look new and fashionable. We will be uploading basic tutorials to guide you along the process!

6. Spread awareness
The more people who try to do something (even if it’s small) will eventually make an impact.