The mission of Circular Thrift is to promote environmental responsibility by communicating and demonstrating the importance of reduced consumption of new clothing.
There is an abundance of clothing everywhere, including clothing received by national charities. The export of second-hand clothing creates an environmental challenge outside of the US and is in need of reevaluation and redesign.
Let’s see how excess clothing can be sorted at a hyperlocal level and channeled through another round or two of local ownership. A change in consumer behavior can result in reduced consumption/production of new clothing, increased use of what has been produced, and thoughtful reallocation of end-of-life materials. Ultimately this can reduce the global negative impact of fashion.
Circular Thrift's impact since 2023
5.2 tons
diverted from landfills
14,470 pounds
carbon emissions avoided
54,223 kWh
energy saved
156,610 gallons
of water avoided
Recently Submitted Impact Numbers
Impact Calculator
Enter adoption information (number of items donated for each clothing type below, number of items adopted by new owner for each clothing type below) from your Circular Thrift clothing swap so you can see the massive impact of your efforts. Or just play around with a few numbers to get a better understanding of the resources used to create even a single piece of clothing.
Source:
Comparative Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of second-hand vs new clothing
Assumptions:
The average house’s annual trash is equal to 1 ton of carbon emissions.
The average house uses 30 kWh per day.
The average 8-minute shower uses 21 gallons of water.