MADISON BLASZ
Special to The Leader
The “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” saying is quite truthful.
There’s something wonderful about heading to a thrift store and finding a unique piece of clothing that fits your style perfectly.
Now more than ever, people are donating clothing, home goods, electronics and other objects.
Just think back to that “reduce, reuse, recycle” slogan we have all been taught since elementary school. When we were first taught this, it typically had to deal with plastics and paper.
But many people did not realize that recycling incorporates more than the typical plastics and includes textile recycling as well.
One of thrifting’s biggest advantages for the planet is that it keeps clothes out of landfills.
People are recognizing that the clothes they no longer want will make much more of an impact when donated and brought to thrift stores, rather than tossed in the garbage.
On April 1, Samantha Brewster, a Forestville graduate opened a store called Hot Thrifts, a higher quality thrift store.
Her goal is to take things that people may not have a use for anymore or are throwing out and put them back into the community. Though, she is not looking for items that are in poor condition.
Brewster said, “I won’t have anything that isn’t close to new, if anything is stained or kind of junky I will not put it up.”
When clothes are thrown away, they sit in landfills for hundreds of years. Especially now that a lot of clothing is made out of synthetic material that won’t degrade, these clothes tossed into landfills take up a lot of space and contribute to greenhouse gases.
Brewster said, “I wanted to do something to promote sustainability and reusing things, I want to prevent things from ending up in a landfill, because eventually clothes will be covering a lot of space.”
She wants people to know that anyone can stop by her store and drop items off. “I take a lot of donations and anyone can stop by when the store is open.”
If you are interested in making a donation or stopping by to see the items in Hot Thrift, Brewster will be there 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. The store is closed on Wednesdays and Sundays.
Shopping second-hand also plays a role in boosting community development. Your money is typically used to help local charities and businesses, rather than multinational corporations that take advantage of the planet.
Think about it this way, when you shop second-hand, you’re supporting a business that strives to help others. When we are helping others, we are also helping the environment in some way as well.
Thrifting also lowers your carbon footprint. But we often think that the only way we can do this is by biking to work instead of driving or by reducing our shower time.
These are wonderful ways, but thrifting is also one of those steps to reducing our carbon footprint that doesn’t take much effort.
The fashion industry is moving faster than ever, creating millions of clothing every day to fill up the stores. Thrifting is an easy way to make a difference in your own carbon footprint.
So rather than engaging in online or fast-fashion shopping, head to a thrift store.
And remember “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”