In a town where sixteen people can live in one house, sharing closets is nothing new. Isla Vista Trading Post (IVTP), a student-run organization at UCSB takes this culture of sharing and points it to a bigger problem: the piles of clothing that end up in landfills. I had the opportunity to sit down with UCSB senior and IVTP President, Rachel Harrison, to discuss her club’s impact.
The idea is simple. IVTP collects clothing from people in the community and recirculates it back to the community and all for free! As Harrison puts it, the club exists to give people “things that are awesome.”
Sunday pickups
The club’s engine is its Sunday pickup. Anyone with clothes to get rid of can fill out the Google form in IVTP’s Instagram bio or DM the club, and members drive to their house to collect it. The goal is to make donating easier than throwing things away. Donations are sorted and stored in members’ own homes, because the club has neither a shed nor the funding for storage space. “We all know we want to keep this club going,” Harrison says, even if that means giving up some personal space.
The art committee also gives the club its “look.” Flyers are hand-drawn, which Harrison says adds a personal touch and shows the club cares about their mission. Many members of the art committee are talented and happy to contribute, and the effort shows up on campus.
The Innerworkings
IVTP runs on five committees: Fashion, Education & Sustainability, Outreach, Marketing & Social Media, and Art. Their work is different, but it depends on each other. The social media team might come up with a post, and the art committee turns it into a poster. Fashion members sort the clothes that everyone else is promoting. “People know that other people are relying on them,” Harrison says, and that is what keeps the committees connected. The art committee also gives the club its “look.” Flyers are hand-drawn, which Harrison says adds a personal touch and shows the club cares about their mission. Many members of the art committee are talented and happy to contribute, and the effort shows up on campus.
Who fits in IVTP?
You don’t need to be an environmental expert to fit in. Harrison says that before she joined, she hadn’t really thought about where clothes come from, and the club changed how she shops. Still, she describes IVTP as a group of friends who happen to love clothes and care about the environment. Exec meetings are held in members’ houses for comfort. The event “Thrifted Thursday” includes taking pictures of willing on-campus peers and their thrifted outfits, posting it to the club’s social media. Harrison says that “anyone can really be a part of us.”
The numbers
At every event, the club tallies how many pieces of clothing recirculate. In a recent collaboration with UCSB Fashion Club, IVTP recirculated 268 pieces in a single event. Harrison estimates that if the club held three or four events each quarter, it could keep upwards of 1,000 items a year out of the landfill.
What does IVTP bring to UCSB?
When asked what the campus would lose without IVTP, an obvious answer would be the free clothes. Yet, Harrison also added it would be amazing people. Harrison states members aren’t paid to drive around on Sundays or set up events. “They do it because they want to give others something they need.” This tight knit community hopes to only grow in membership and accomplish a foot forward in a new generation of environmental consciousness. Go check them out!
Want to get involved? Find IVTP on Instagram @IVTradingPost!