Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at U Conn chapter.

We don’t have much time to live more sustainably before the effects of climate change are irreversible. It’s now or never. A great way to start putting the environment first is through your wardrobe. This #spookyszn be mindful. To reduce your waste, try shopping at your local thrift and consignment stores. It’s more eco-friendly because the products are being reused and not sitting in landfills to further pollute the earth. 

Why should you care? According to The Council for Textile Recycling, approximately 26 billion pounds of clothes end up in landfills each year in North America. The fast fashion industry exists to mass-produce trendy clothes. 2,700 liters of water are used to make cotton for a single shirt. That’s enough water for one person to drink for two and a half years. Can you believe that?! Imagine the amount of cotton and gallons of water used to make the millions of graphic tees your favorite fast fashion stores sell.  I don’t know about you, but that’s scarier than any haunted house or Paranormal Activity movie.

Taking the steps to live a more sustainable life is not going to be easy. It’s more than riding your bicycle to work instead of driving, and definitely more than swapping out your plastic straw at Starbucks for a Nitro lid. To live sustainably is to consider the impact your actions have on the environment. Is it good, bad, a bit of both? 

The more we choose the environmentally-friendly route, the less the environment suffers. It’s up to us. So, why not start with our costumes?

 

Hit these stores up to be an eco-friendly shopper, babe:

  • Goodwill (232A Tolland Turnpike, Manchester, CT)

  • Bliss Boutique (34 North St, Willimantic, CT)

  • Savers (432 Buckland Hills Dr, Manchester, CT)

  • Thrift and Gift Shop (Stonehouse Rd., Coventry, CT)

  • The Salvation Army (Rt. 195, Storrs Rd, Mansfield Center, CT)

 

Happy Haunting!

Zula Blair

U Conn '22

Zula Blair is a Sophomore Communication Major and WGSS Minor. In her free time, she likes to listen to spoken word poetry, spend time with her family and friends and rewatch old episodes of "The Game." One of her favorite quotes is from 1 Corinthians 13:4, "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud."