Clothing Exchange Event Scheduled for 2024
The Notre Dame University community recently came together for its annual clothes swap event, a community-driven initiative aimed at promoting sustainable fashion practices. Organised by the EcoStewards enrichment group and Sue Lowe, Head of Biology, the week-long event saw students exchanging their unwanted clothing items on campus.
The clothes swap, which has become an annual tradition at Notre Dame, encourages the reuse of clothes instead of sending them to landfill. Each item of clothing brought to the event earns points, which can be used to collect other people's unwanted clothes. This unique system incentivises participation and extends the life of garments, reducing the demand for new fast fashion products and limiting textile waste going to landfills.
Fast fashion, with its environmental impacts, is a pressing concern. The industry is responsible for about 10% of global carbon emissions, comparable to the emissions of the entire European Union. Production demands huge amounts of water and synthetic materials, with a typical t-shirt requiring as much water as a person drinks in 2.5 years. Fast fashion relies heavily on synthetic fibers like polyester and nylon, which come from fossil fuels and are non-biodegradable, meaning discarded clothes persist in landfills for up to 200 years.
The industry generates massive textile waste, with vast quantities of clothing discarded after very few wears—on average, fast fashion clothes in the U.S. are worn just seven times before disposal. Companies like Shein contribute heavily to emissions, notably because of their reliance on air freight for transportation, which has a much higher carbon footprint than shipping by sea.
Besides emissions, the industry pollutes with dyes and chemicals, contaminating water and soil in manufacturing areas. These environmental costs are extensive and severe, making initiatives like the Notre Dame clothes swap all the more important.
In addition to promoting reuse, the Notre Dame clothes swap also raises awareness among young people about the environmental cost of fast fashion and encourages sustainable consumption behaviours. Clothes left over from the event were donated to St. Gemma's hospice, ensuring that nothing goes to waste.
Schools play a key role in mitigating the environmental damage caused by fast fashion. Clothes swaps, like the one at Notre Dame, are an effective initiative in reducing waste and fostering a culture of sustainability among students. Such programs combine swaps with educational campaigns about the impacts of fashion waste and the benefits of recycling and buying second-hand.
A special thanks was extended to all the students who volunteered at the Notre Dame clothes swap, and to everyone who donated their old clothes. The event's success is a testament to the community's commitment to sustainability and the power of collective action in addressing environmental issues.
- To further reduce the environmental impacts of fast fashion, the Notre Dame community could potentially collaborate on projects related to environmental-science, particularly focusing on the development of more sustainable textiles for home-and-garden products and sustainable-living.
- In line with the Notre Dame clothes swap's mission, students could consider adopting sustainable-living habits beyond just their clothing choices, making thoughtful decisions about their purchases in other areas such as science and technology, ensuring responsible usage of resources and minimizing waste.
- As part of an ongoing effort to promote sustainable living, the science department at Notre Dame could collaborate with the environmental-science program to host seminars or workshops on topics like climate-change and its relation to fast fashion, encouraging students to make eco-friendly choices in their lifestyles and creating a culture of consciousness about the environment.
