Researcher(s)
- Julia Brady, , University of Delaware
Faculty Mentor(s)
- Kedron Thomas, Anthropology, University of Delaware
Abstract
Gathering information about sustainable practices in which clothing consumers already participate can lead to a better understanding of how to move toward a circular system for the textile industry. Overproduction in the textile and clothing industry has had significant negative environmental impacts around the world. Due to an increase in the pace of changing trends, clothing is highly underutilized. Roughly $460 billion of value is lost globally because clothes are thrown away too soon; meanwhile, clothing production from 2015-2030 is projected to increase by 40 million tons. The goal of this project is to raise awareness about sustainability issues associated with clothing, and to connect these issues to people’s personal and unique experiences with the clothing they own. This research invoked two methods. The first was an in-person exercise in which participants were asked to make wearable pieces out of non-traditional materials. The second method was a survey that prompted respondents to reflect on their clothing, its utility, and the special meaning that particular pieces have for them. The survey results documented which sustainable actions are already widely practiced by respondents according to age group, in an effort to stimulate more considerate actions related to clothing disposal. The survey showed a large majority of respondents participate in actions such as donating clothes, clothing resale, and giving clothes a second life by passing them onto others. Additionally, participants in both exercises displayed interest in paying more attention to how clothing waste is currently dealt with.