Hand2Hand Project
Captain Planet But Make It Fashion
Living in a big city has so many perks; there’s always something to do, night clubs, museums and 24 hour pho places, but being surrounded by amazing architecture can often blind us to all the natural beauty we’ve been gifted by this planet. And if you are truly about that metropolis life then you know, even if you do take the time to stop and smell the roses you might just choke on the smell of urine and smog floating in the air.
They say out of sight out of mind and with so much of nature being torn down to further economic goals it’s difficult to remember to take care of our home.
How many of you have been driving down the street eating your number one from In and Out and once you were done tossed the trash out the window because you don’t want to dirty up your car?
Earth is our home, and just like we don’t want our apartments and cars to be cultured with trash we should want the same for the planet that houses, feeds and protects us.
Many of us have gotten behind protecting the ocean and wildlife. We stray from the use of microbeads in beauty products, just about everyone is vegan or vegetarian now and if they aren’t they prefer happy cows, and a lot of us volunteer for city clean ups and donate our clothes instead of just tossing them out. We really are trying to live sustainable lives.
But is recycling and donating to random causes and companies just as harmful as not doing anything at all?
Once we donate our clothing to thrift shops we don’t think twice about it. We feel good that we’re giving away clothing we no longer want to be cleaned and sold at prices affordable to those in need.
But get ready, because in about 7 words I’m going to drop a truth bomb.
Only about 20% of the clothing that we donate actually ends up in the secondhand marketplace. The U.S. alone sends over 21 billion pounds of textiles to landfills a year. The clothing that ends up there can sit for years and as it decomposes will eventually release methane into the atmosphere.
Methane is a greenhouse gas that is even more potent than carbon.
Goodwill and the Salvation Army are some of the bigger name thrift stores so they receive the most donations. With that beings said you shouldn’t be surprised that oftentimes they don’t have enough space for everything that’s handed to them. Goodwill spends close to 7 million yearly on dumping costs alone.
At second street we are dedicated to making a fashion statement that’s part of an environmental movement. We always strive to stock trendy and in season pieces so occasionally there are things we aren't able to resell in our stores.
But, with our hand to hand program we are able to get more of your unwanted clothing resold, recycled and into the hands of those in need. We are constantly looking for new ways to increase our environmental efforts and reduce the number of garments that reach landfills.
So the next time you’re thinking of new ways to help our mother Nature, remember to always ask questions, always do research and find the best companies and organizations to volunteer and donate too.
