Spring is here, and as midterms ramp up, a cluttered space can add to the stress. A quick reset now can make move-out and finals season way easier鈥攚hile also cutting down on waste! Instead of tossing everything in the trash, here鈥檚 how you can declutter, clean and donate more sustainably while making a positive impact on campus.
Ever find something and think, 鈥淲hy do I even have this?鈥� You鈥檙e not alone!
The easiest way to declutter is to sort your stuff into three categories:鉁� Keep 鈥� If it鈥檚 useful, meaningful, or sparks joy, it stays.
鉂�&苍产蝉辫;Get rid of 鈥� If you don鈥檛 use it or love it, it鈥檚 time to let go.
馃&苍产蝉辫;Maybe 鈥� Stuck on an item? Ask yourself if you鈥檇 notice if it were gone. If not, it鈥檚 probably time to say goodbye!
Now that your space is clear, it鈥檚 time to freshen it up鈥攚ithout harming the planet.
Before tossing items in the trash, check out these easy ways to give them a second life:
Pro tip: Before donating, check with friends or roommates鈥攜our old lamp or extra kitchenware might be exactly what they need! If you are moving out at the end of this semester, here is essential information and resources to avoid violating Boulder trash ordinances.
Every year, thousands of pounds of reusable items are thrown away during both move-in and at Give and Go during move-out. By donating, swapping, and making sustainable choices, you help keep valuable resources in circulation and reduce landfill waste.
Want to stay involved? Here are a few easy ways to keep the momentum going:
Cleaning up doesn鈥檛 have to mean waste鈥攍et鈥檚 make it a fresh start for both you and the planet. Happy decluttering, Buffs!
Spring has sprung and some people are itching for change. Now is the perfect time to incorporate sustainability into your cleaning routine.Thrifting goes hand in hand with a sustainable lifestyle. With Americans throwing away over year, fast fashion and overconsumption lead to excess waste in landfills, carbon emissions from textile manufacturing and depletion of resources. Thrifting promotes sustainability by diverting clothing from landfills for reuse. You can participate in thrifting by donating unwanted clothing and purchasing used clothing instead of buying new.
The importance of thrifting for sustainability
The benefits of thrifting for consumers
Thrifting benefits not only the environment but also consumers. Here are ways you can benefit by participating in thrifting.
Alternatives to thrifting
Thrifting isn鈥檛 the only way to keep unwanted clothing out of landfills. The EPA estimates that 84% of donated clothing ends up in landfills and incinerators. When donating, consider whether the items are functional to avoid passing the burden of disposal on to others. Here are other ways to give your clothing a second life.
Things to keep in mind before going thrifting
It鈥檚 easy to over-buy when thrifting due to cheaper prices. However, buying things you don鈥檛 need just continues the waste cycle. Make sure nothing you purchase ends up back in the donation box. Before you buy an item, consider the following:
Start thrifting
Boulder has many local thrift stores within walking distance of campus. area.
Behaviors like thrifting instead of buying new can positively impact our environment. Join the Sustainable Buffs community to get more involved.
As the cold weather creeps into Boulder, you鈥檒l soon turn to sweaters, cardigans, and crewnecks. Those are some bulky clothing items, and your closet may be cramped for space, which makes this the perfect time to slim down your wardrobe and the pieces you have in your closet. Here are a few tips and tricks on cleaning your closet and getting ready for winter!
Make a plan
When deciding what to keep, what to get rid of or deciding on your 鈥渕aybe鈥� pile, having a plan to follow makes it easier. Think about what you like to wear, where you go most often and how much space you have. Having a balance of different options is best.
One thing in, one thing out
Adopting this mentality ensures that your closet is never overflowing with clothes. If you bring in a new shirt, donate an older shirt that you simply don鈥檛 wear enough to keep around.
Be realistic
Know that you can鈥檛 keep everything, or get rid of everything. Think about how many items you want to clean out from your closet. It鈥檚 okay to only remove three or four items. When it comes to deciding what to keep, think about these questions:
Try the 鈥渕aybes鈥�
Put your 鈥渕aybes鈥� at the front of your clothing choices, and try to wear them at least once before deciding if you keep or get rid of them. You might be surprised by how much you like that shirt that you haven鈥檛 worn in a while, or that pair of pants that has been stuck at the bottom of your drawer.
Donate!
You can give your unwanted clothes a new home by donating them at any drop-off bins located around Boulder or second-hand stores like the Salvation Army or Goodwill.
Remember, you can make your closet clean out fun!
Join the Environmental Center for 鈥� a campus-wide swap shop where 蜜桃传媒破解版下载 students, faculty, and staff can donate and pick up new-to-you items such as clothing, shoes, accessories, outdoor gear, office supplies, housewares, room decor, and more! You don鈥檛 need to bring anything to take new-to-you items at this FREE event.
In addition to the swap, there will be experts on site from the ECenter teaching folks how to mend their own clothing and have on-the-go sewing kits you can take home with you! We will also have campus and community partners present to share resources鈥攂oth on and off campus鈥攖o help students to meet their needs sustainably!
You can bring donations to the Environmental Center in UMC 355 Monday鈥揊riday, 9-5 from November 4th- November 20th , or bring your donations on the day of the event!
As the cold weather creeps into Boulder, you鈥檒l soon turn to sweaters, cardigans, and crewnecks. Those are some bulky clothing items, and your closet may be cramped for space, which makes this the perfect time to slim down your wardrobe and the pieces you have in your closet. Here are a few tips and tricks on cleaning your closet and getting ready for winter!Halloween marks the beginning of the holiday season. However, the excitement of the holiday can make it easy to ignore zero waste and sustainable habits as you decorate and celebrate. Costumes are often bought specifically for the holiday and then never worn again. And candy comes in small, individually wrapped pieces, which produce much waste that is not recyclable. Halloween can be a time to celebrate and have fun. Yet, with some planning and intention, you can make choices that protect our environment. Here are ways to enjoy Halloween sustainably.
Costumes
Treats
Decorations
The positive impact of a sustainable Halloween
There are many habits you can choose to make this Halloween season more sustainable. As we continue to learn and become more eco-conscious as a community, we also continue to grow as individuals and figure out the impact of our actions. Advocating for sustainable practices goes much further than protecting wildlife and our environment. Being sustainable encompasses us and how our interactions with one another can impact our future generations and human life. When you end up composting your locally bought pumpkin, thrifting and reusing clothing or decorations, you benefit yourself, others and the environment.
During this Halloween season, we encourage you to be mindful of how you can implement sustainable practices into your life. Sustainability can look like saving money and reducing waste when celebrating Halloween this year.
Halloween kicks off the holiday season, but with a little planning, you can celebrate sustainably by reducing costume waste, avoiding non-recyclable candy wrappers, and making eco-friendly choices.Earth Day began in 1970 as more people in the United States and across the globe became aware of the environmental impact caused by humans. Before the 1970鈥檚, many people considered air and water pollution a normal and expected part of life. Celebrating Earth Day each year is vital because it recognizes the harm caused to the environment while showing support across the globe for protecting the Earth. You can take steps this Earth Day to support sustainability through your own collective and individual actions.
How to contribute to Earth Day every day
You can be a part of Earth Day by coming together with the 蜜桃传媒破解版下载 community to protect our planet. Whether you are on campus or not, you can get involved and make a difference in numerous ways. Here are some of the ways you can participate in Earth Day today and every day.
Remember, every small action adds up to make a significant impact. Let's work together to create a sustainable future for generations to come. These are just a few examples of how you can make a difference.
The impacts of Earth Day
Since its inception, Earth Day has continued to grow and increase awareness of environmental issues and the actions people can take to support sustainability.
The importance of Earth Day
Earth Day is an annual reminder that climate change has a major impact on our planet, our lives and our future. It can also increase awareness and drives change. Earth Day continues to evolve and add value to sustainability movements across the globe.
The history of Earth Day
Author Rachel Caron released her book Silent Spring in 1962. The book brought attention to how the use of harmful chemicals, such as DDT, caused everlasting damage to wildlife, nature and people, and it called for humans to act responsibly as stewards of the living earth.
Caron鈥檚 book motivated Junior Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin to create Earth Day. He selected April 22 because it fell perfectly between spring break and final exams and would allow space for college students to get involved.
On April 22, 1970, an estimated 20 million people gathered at schools, universities and community centers across the U.S. to host inaugural events that brought awareness to the need for more environmental laws. These events also brought attention to a wide variety of environmental issues.
Denis Hayes, who helped organize the first Earth Day with Gaylord Nelson, went on to found the Earth Day Network, which spread Earth Day internationally, helping organize events in over 141 countries.
Earth Day Monumental Moments:
Want to learn more? Check out the official website for more information on the history of Earth Day, different projects you can participate in and simple ways to change the planet. You can also connect with the Environmental Center to learn ways to get involved.
April 22 is only one day each year, but you can treat every day like Earth Day!
Now that the temperatures have dropped and we鈥檝e had our first snowfall of the season, sweaters, cardigans and jackets are go-to items in the wardrobe. These clothing items tend to take up more space, potentially crowding your closet. That makes this the perfect time to slim down your wardrobe and declutter your closet. Here are a few tips and tricks on cleaning out your closet and getting ready for winter!
When deciding what to keep and what to get rid of, having a plan can simplify the process. You can sort clothing into a 鈥渒eep鈥� pile, a 鈥渄onate鈥� pile and a 鈥渕aybe鈥� pile. Think about what you like to wear, where you go most often and how much space you have. Having a mix of options in your wardrobe is ideal.
This approach ensures that your closet doesn鈥檛 become overcrowded with clothes. For instance, if you bring in or buy a new shirt, consider donating an older one that you don鈥檛 wear much anymore.
Know that you can鈥檛 keep everything just as you can鈥檛 get rid of everything. Think about how many items you want to clear out of your closet. It鈥檚 okay to take out just three or four items. When choosing what to keep, ask yourself:
Put your 鈥渕aybes鈥� at the front of your clothing choices and try to wear them at least once before deciding if you want to keep them or get rid of them. You might be surprised by how much you like that shirt you haven鈥檛 worn in a while or that pair of pants that鈥檚 been stuck at the bottom of your drawer.
When it鈥檚 all said and done, the clothing you decide to remove from your closet can find a new home through donation. There are many different ways to donate your clothes. is an opportunity for 蜜桃传媒破解版下载 students to clean out their closets and revamp them with something new! Pre-loved clothing collected from students will be available for other students to take for free. Additionally, this event is an educational opportunity to teach students about upcycling and mending their clothes, where to find used clothing in Boulder and about resources on campus for students to meet their needs. We hope that we can inspire students to be more environmentally conscious in their closets and provide them with some cool, new (to them) clothing.
You can bring clothes to the Environmental Center in UMC 355 Monday鈥揊riday, 9-5 from Nov. 27鈥揇ec. 5 , or to the UMC Ballroom on the day of the event. As you wrap up your closet cleanout, remember to make the process fun!
Did you know that your fashion choices can positively impact the environment? When you choose clothes made with recycled fabrics, you can help save water and lower carbon emissions. Other actions, like buying second-hand and repairing clothing items, also help promote sustainability. To learn more and track your impact, .
Do your part for sustainable fashion
It feels good to get a new item and show off your style but consider where the clothing comes from before you buy. In the current age of limitless information at our fingertips, it takes just a few minutes to research the source of your clothes. Thinking about sustainability when buying clothes helps reduce the number of harmful pieces produced and ensures you get a high-quality and long-lasting product.
Fast fashion is a large-scale issue spreading worldwide across multiple billion-dollar companies. As scary as it sounds, consumers can impact the market. Many companies have started listening and changing their ways. have committed to sourcing their products only from recycled materials and have started integrating that into their newer pieces. While a step in the right direction, how we spend our money can encourage other companies to follow suit. Fighting with your wallet is one of the most impactful ways to make a company listen. Educate yourself on what's going on behind the scenes to help you make informed decisions.
It's essential to be conscious about where your clothes come from. Still, for the benefit of the environment, it鈥檚 even more important to ask yourself whether you really need an item before you make a purchase.
Tips to practice sustainable fashion
What is fast fashion?
Fast fashion designs, creates and markets clothing to make fashion trends quickly and cheaply available to consumers. This isn't a new concept. From a business perspective, it fits the goal of creating supply to match the changing demand. Social media and have caused the issue of fast fashion to grow. With fashion trends spreading sporadically and fizzling out of the spotlight in a matter of weeks, the supply has to follow these sudden waves of demand. This has led some companies to make large amounts of a product very cheaply and unsustainably.
Fast fashion in action
This issue stretches over the entire fashion industry, with many companies to blame for their unsustainable practices, including the popular . One common mission for lower-end, high-volume clothing companies is to make higher-end fashion accessible and affordable for everyone. At face value, the concept sounds great until you look at how companies operate.
To cut costs and make their pieces more affordable and current, these companies often produce more than is possible to be sustainable. The goal is to produce as much as possible at a very low cost. This model has led to reports of and other negative impacts.
While Shein is one example of how fast fashion runs, it's not the sole perpetrator of released from the production of clothes. Most big brands have to follow a similar model to meet the constant demand for new clothes.
We by incorporating sustainable practices into our buying decisions and investing in durable clothing from trusted brands.
As consumers focus more on the environmental impact of products, companies look to cash in by identifying their products as sustainable or environmentally friendly. However, not all brands follow the practices they claim. When businesses falsely promote their products' environmental or sustainable benefits, it is called greenwashing.
Some examples of greenwashing include a company saying their products are made entirely of recycled materials when they only use a portion of recycled materials. Or a company claims each purchased product leads to planting a tree, but the company doesn鈥檛 follow through with the accurate number of trees. Greenwashing usually includes exaggerations that mislead customers.
Are environmental claims regulated?
The protects consumers by enforcing laws to ensure a fair marketplace. Here are some of the current guidelines put in place.
Packaging and advertising should explain the product鈥檚 green claims in easy-to-understand terms.
Environmental marketing claims should specify whether they refer to the product, packaging or both.
Marketing claims should not overstate, directly or indirectly, an environmental attribute or benefit.
How to avoid greenwashing
As a consumer, your best tool to combat greenwashing is research. Investigate the brand before purchasing products that claim to be sustainable to ensure their practices match their claims.
You can start by reading online product reviews or researching the resources a company uses to produce its products. Almost every product type has an environmental certification, like clothes, furniture and household goods. is a popular certification that many consumers trust. In this case, you can search for certified products and review the level of sustainability.
Watch for these common greenwashing practices when researching products.
Unclear language or terms with no specific meaning or implication, like eco-friendly.
Suggestive images that give an unjustified green impression without providing specific data about the product or brand.
Irrelevant claims with a heavy emphasis on one small green attribute without mention of how the rest of the company works.
A claim that might be correct, but the company provides no evidence to support the claim.
Implementing sustainable buying habits
Becoming a conscious consumer can benefit the environment, your wallet and the quality of your products.
Try to borrow or reuse items and buy second-hand or local when you can. Also, take the time to find out what you鈥檙e purchasing before you spend your money. You may have to read between the lines to discover the truth about brands. The effort you make in the beginning will save time and benefit your future buying decisions.
Take a holistic approach to the process when making purchase decisions. If you find a sustainable brand that ships from across the world, then it may not make sense for you to make the purchase. Also, be aware that genuinely sustainable products may cost more. If the product is sustainable, it will likely be of a higher quality that lasts longer, making the extra money upfront worth it in the long run. For example, fast fashion is cheap but lower quality and wears out quicker.
The Bottom Line
As a consumer, voting with your dollar and buying sustainably sourced and durable products is important. However, be aware of companies trying to profit from your desire to live a sustainable lifestyle by researching the companies you support.
You can download the AWorld app from ActNow to track your sustainable actions, learn ways to implement sustainability into your daily life and participate in challenges with others in the CU community.
As consumers focus more on the environmental impact of products, companies look to cash in by identifying their products as sustainable or environmentally friendly. However, not all brands follow the practices they claim. When businesses falsely promote their products' environmental or sustainable benefits, it is called greenwashing.Going to large music festivals, clubs, raves and parties appeals to many people, and after not being able to participate in these large gatherings during the covid-19 pandemic, people are eager to return. PLUR - Peace, Love, Unity and Respect - is a common phrase in rave culture; valuing and respecting the earth that you have the privilege of partying on is the best way to spread love. It's important to practice the mantra, 鈥淣o Planet, No Party."
What is an eco-rave?
An eco-rave is a rave or festival that has sustainable practices in mind. Before you go to a rave or festival, research whether or not the organizer has pledged to make their event carbon neutral. Beware of greenwashing, which is when a company provides a false narrative that they are sustainable or environmentally conscious in order to give consumers peace of mind. Read more about here.
Thrift your clothing
Finding the perfect festival ensemble at a thrift shop can help make your outfit pop even more; plus, you'll have a story to tell your friends about where your outfit came from. Check out this quick .
Party local
In addition to the expenses associated with traveling, travel increases your carbon footprint. If you are willing and able to find a local festival or rave, attending local events is more sustainable. If you are traveling by plane, you may be able to purchase a carbon offset.
Carpooling
Carpooling is a fun way to arrive with your friends at the same time, cut travel costs and reduce your carbon footprint. Splitting the gas money or rideshare cost can also make the evening more affordable. Learn more about .
Bring your own reusable water bottle
Rather than purchasing water or beverages sold in single-use plastics at the event, bring your own reusable bottle. Most venues have places to refill your water bottle.
Clean up after yourself
鈥婰ittering is not cool. Not only are you adding trash to the environment, but someone else has to clean it up after you leave. Find the proper recycling and landfill areas at the event and dispose of your waste correctly. This puts the "respect" part of PLUR into effect.
Do your own research
鈥媁ho is running the event? Does the company use sustainable practices? Will there be vegetarian or vegan food options? Is the stage made of sustainable materials? If you find a festival that follows sustainable practices, spread the word and use the power of your dollar to reward this practice.
Going to large music festivals, clubs, raves and parties appeals to many people, and after not being able to participate in these large gatherings during the covid-19 pandemic, people are eager to return. PLUR -- Peace, Love, Unity and Respect -- is a common phrase in rave culture; valuing and respecting the earth that you have the privilege of partying on is the best way to spread love. It's important to practice the mantra, 鈥淣o Planet, No Party."Sustainable fashion aims to transition the fashion industry and consumers away from the fast fashion model towards sustainable practices in sourcing, production, distribution, marketing and consumption. This is not an easy fix by any means to the environmentally destructive fast fashion industry. Changing values, habits and daily choices takes as much inner work as it does societal. Billion dollar industries bombard us with constant marketing that shapes cultural narratives and norms and encourages us to 鈥渟tay on trend.鈥�
The environmental and social impact of fast fashion is tremendous, characterized by waste, depletion of healthy soil, contamination of fresh water sources, pollution of the air we breathe, defilement of our oceans, destruction of forests, and damage to ecosystems and the health of their biodiversity. And those are just physical manifestations of the negative impact fast fashion has on our society. There is also a hidden layer of mental health degradation, when we constantly see ads telling us that we are not enough if we don鈥檛 have whatever it is they are selling. Fast fashion ads often impact our sense of self-worth and a need for belonging.
By reading this article, you have already taken the first step towards achieving sustainable fashion, which is increasing your awareness. The next step is to learn about alternatives to our current fast fashion model. This step can be daunting with the copious amounts of information out there. Furthermore, there are often feelings of guilt and shame that surface when we become aware of how our actions have impacted both people and the planet. Finding a community is crucial when undertaking the journey of unlearning and relearning, which is why the Environmental Center is organizing a The Environmental Center鈥檚 is an opportunity for 蜜桃传媒破解版下载 students to not only revamp their wardrobes, but find community and support as they try to break free from the fast fashion industry.
will have an educational component to teach students about upcycling and mending their clothes, where to find used clothing in Boulder and about resources on campus for students to meet their needs. If you do not have clothes to donate for the swap, don鈥檛 worry, come as you are and take home new-to-you items!
If you have clothes to donate after your spring cleaning purge, you can bring clothes to the Environmental Center in UMC 355 Monday鈥揊riday, April 17-21, or to the UMC Ballroom on the day of In addition to the drop and swap event, the 鈥�give and go鈥� move out program in the residence halls will also accept clothing.
You don鈥檛 have to wait until to start your sustainable fashion journey. 蜜桃传媒破解版下载 has partnered with the AWorld app from ActNow, the United Nations鈥� campaign for individual action on climate change and sustainability. The app allows users to weave sustainability into their everyday lives and track their impact. One of the many actions you can log on the A-World app is 鈥淐hoose Secondhand Clothes鈥� with an estimated impact of 16 Kg CO2 saved and 330 gallons of water saved. Be one of the first 500 to sign up for AWorld app and get a free stasher bag! From April 15 through June 15, track your Sustainable Buff actions using the AWorld app. For each Buffs action logged, CU will invest $1 toward campus conservation and local carbon sequestration projects, up to $10,000.
Join the sustainable fashion movement and break free from the fast fashion industry at the Environmental Center's upcoming Drop and Swap event, while also finding community and support along the way.