New effort aims to keep unsold clothing donations out of the landfill
How the opening of a new Goodwill outlet store in Cincinnati — at 10633 Glendale Rd — relates to sustainable fashion was the topic of a panel discussion on WVXU’s “Cincinnati Edition”, a radio program hosted by Lucy May.
In addition to Ohio Valley Goodwill Industries spokespersons, May invited Wesley Beisel, a second-year fashion design student at the University of Cincinnati, to speak on the topic of sustainability in the fashion industry.
Beisel is the student lead of the Sustainable Fashion Initiative (SSI), which originated at UC.
“I personally love to thrift…most of my closet is thrifted,” Beisel said, pointing to the need for sustainable initiatives because today's fashion industry is one of the largest global polluters, to include textiles and plastic packaging.
At UC, Beisel explained that fashion students are encouraged to consider the sustainability of a textile when undertaking a project. There is also a fabric recycling closet in the design studio and members of SSI sort the textiles for reuse.
“Anything that’s 100% man-made is never the best choice. It might end up being more expensive but in the end it’s better,” says Beisel.
The segment details the start to finish production of Goodwill donations, with administrators citing that 50-60% of what is donated is sellable at the retail stores.
Items that go to the outlet are deemed unsellable due to defects such as rips or missing buttons and are sold by the pound.
Featured image at top by iStock photo/photobyphm.
Impact Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.
Latest Bicentennial News
- Poll shows grandkids help grandparents feel less lonelyThe role of a grandparent is multifaceted and valuable, especially when families are facing a childcare crisis or when someone needs to fill the "parent" role for unforeseen reasons. Despite some of the immediate impact that grandparents have on grandkids, new data suggests the benefits flow both ways. A recent poll conducted by the University of Michigan shows the importance of grandchildren in grandparents' lives.
- Exploring the differences between men and women with traumatic brain injuriesThe University of Cincinnati's Brandon Foreman joined a panel discussion on WVXU's Cincinnati Edition discussing current knowledge and the need for further research into the differences between. men and women experiencing traumatic brain injuries.
- Sale-leaseback transaction contributes to Frisch’s closingsThe Frisch’s Big Boy chain could be forced to close more restaurants, which can in part be traced back to the sale-leaseback transaction by the company, University of Cincinnati Real Estate Center Executive Director Carl Goertemoeller told WCPO.
