access to necessities. A few ways the
store provides for Laramie include a
voucher system as well as a free item
bin outside of the store, dollar sales,
and donations to various services
around the community.
An often overlooked benefit of thrift
stores like the Clothing Cottage is
their sustainable efforts. The fashion
industry, as well as consumers,
participates in many unsustainable
practices regarding clothing from
dyeing to discarding. The average
American throws away 70 pounds
of textile waste each year, which
equates to 21 billion pounds
throughout the U.S. annually (EPA,
2016). To make matters worse,
85% of that textile waste could
be recycled, but instead, it will
take up to 1,000 years for shoes to
decompose in landfills and around
40 years for other garments (Planet
Aid, 2016). Secondhand clothing
WLM | shop
stores assist in decreasing the
amount of clothing that ends up in
landfills and have begun working
with textile recycling plants to
curtail the textile waste issue we
face creating a greener fashion
industry.
Throughout recent years,
secondhand shopping has become
more acceptable in the U.S. due to
improved aesthetics better suited
for customers, economic hardships,
and environmentally responsible
attitudes. Secondhand clothing is
both financially and environmentally
sustainable, which creates a
symbiotic relationship between
consumers, communities and the
environment. Shopping at thrift
stores is beneficial to your wardrobe
and wallet; however, you can return
the benefit to them by donating your
items or time! We encourage you
to join the majority of the world by
buying secondhand clothing and
items to help reduce waste and save
your money. W L M
Work Cited
EPA. (2016). Advancing sustainable
materials management: Facts and
figures. US EPA. www.epa.gov/smm/
advancing-sustainable-materials-
management-facts-and figures
Planet Aid. (2016). 8 Little known facts
about our clothing habits. Retrieved
from www.planetaid.org/blog/8-little-
known-facts-about-our-clothing-habits
Trans Continental Textile Recycling Ltd.
(2012). The business. Retrieved from
www.transtextile.com/the_business.
html
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