Chemistry Instructor

Clothing Drive

Clothing Drive

Why have a clothing drive?

Spring 2018 Leaders and Safa Khan hanging clothes up for the Earth Day event.
  • Combats clothing waste.
  • Reduces clothing entering the landfills, thereby also reducing methane emissions.
  • Less new clothing needs to be purchased or made.
  • Saves precious resources and energy.
  • Reduces water, land and air pollution.
    • Fashion is the 2nd most polluting industry (Bryant, 2018).
  • Helps provide a basic need to students at CI.
    • Student money can be spent on other necessities, such as food and textbooks if clothing is provided.
  • Helps provide business attire for interviews, so students can obtain jobs.

Student Leaders

Spring 2018: Debbie Manrique, Carmen Morales,  Griselda Murias, Michelle Stanfill

Spring 2018 Leaders tabling and the canvas tote and magnet prizes.

The Project

The Spring 2018 leaders had the following four goals:

Spring 2018 Leaders on Earth Day handing out the 300 articles of clothing.
  1. Educate students about the fast fashion industry and its contribution to pollution and waste.
  2. Reduce textile waste by accepting clothing donations that will be recycled, displayed, and distributed on Earth Day.
  3. Alleviate clothing insecurity at CI.
  4. Collaborate with the Career Closet to obtain business attire to support students getting jobs.

The Spring 2018 leaders held tabling sessions several times throughout the semester. They collected clothing at each of the tabling sessions and provided outreach. The students designed a green chemistry T-Shirt and handed out canvas bags and magnets as incentives for individuals to attend the table and fill out a questionnaire. The students also used green screens on campus and social media (Twitter, Facebook and Instagram) to advertise for tabling events. A total of 300 articles of clothing were collected. On Earth Day (Ekho Echo Event) nearly all of the clothing was handed out to students. 24 items were donated to the career closet. The Spring 2018 leaders identified that CI is lacking a basic need for students: a clothing closet. The Fall 2018 students are currently working on implementing this idea.

Business clothing collected by the Spring 2018 leaders and donated to the Career Closet.

Video About the Project

Acknowledgements

Maria Ballesteros-Sola: Assistant Professor of Business

Hallie Sheaffer: Student

Ed Blazejewski, Physics lecturer

Gina Matibag, Academic Support Analyst

Simone Aloisio, Chemistry Chair

References

Bryant, K. The Staggering Fashion Industry Facts Exposed by The True Cost (Promoted) http://www.takepart.com/photos/true-cost-memes/#enter-gallery (accessed Mar 12, 2018).

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