Arden Oberlander - SPEAK

For my one-time challenge I read two articles about the fast fashion industry and sustainable alternatives to fast fashion. Both articles emphasized that fast fashion is not only an issue in the environmental sector but also the socio-economic sector. Not only does the clothing made in the fast fashion industry emit thousands of greenhouse gases and thousands of gallons of water and energy to produce, it also is extremely dangerous and unfair for the workers. According to "Where to Buy Sustainable, Eco-Friendly Clothing" by Amy Livingston, less than 2% of clothing worn by Americans is made in the US.  Once the fashion industry moved out of the US and into lower-income countries, the prices for clothing dropped and so have the wages for people who work in those factories. Therefore, sustainable clothing must be eco-friendly and worker-friendly. Throughout the article, Livingston suggested ways to switch to a more sustainable clothing lifestyle. Livingston wrote, "The greenest choice of all is to reuse clothing." Shopping second-hand ensures that there are almost no new impacts to the environment. Livingston suggested to: thrift shop, online shop (Depop or Poshmark), participate on an online swap sites and shop eco-conscious brands. Now that I know more about how terrible the fast fashion industry is, I will definitely implement these sustainable clothing tips into my lifestyle. 

I have been doing my ecochallenge for a little over two weeks now. This past weekend I went out of town, and I found that it is so much easier to reduce my use of plastic and styrofoam with my meals when I am not on campus. I did not realize how much more challenging it is to live on campus and having to go to the dining halls and get prepackaged meals. Additionally, when I do get prepackaged sandwiches or anything else, my roommate and I try to repurpose the plastic container. For example, last week I got a prepackaged plastic noodle bowl from the POD on campus. Instead of throwing the plastic container away after I ate it, I cleaned it out and now we are using it as a compost container. This week I am going to try to repurpose another plastic or styrofoam container. 

I have done my ecochallenge for one week now. Each day, my goal is to have at least two meals a day with no plastic or styrofoam waste. During the weekdays, this is an achievable goal because I can bring my eco to-go container to the dining hall at Stokely. However, it is harder to fulfill my goal on the weekends because Stokely is closed, so I have to get a styrofoam to-go box. When I have to eat at PCB on the weekends or whenever else, I make sure to bring my reusable water bottle and reusable utensils, so I can decrease some of my waste. Although my actions are just a small dent in this plastic waste crisis, I believe that if everyone can start doing simple things, we can start to solve the problem! 

My daily challenge is "Practice the 5 R's" because I want to limit my waste, especially my waste of single use plastic and styrofoam. Living on campus, this can be difficult because in the dining halls they offer styrofoam to-go containers, plastic utensils and plastic bags. The dining hall at Stokely has just implemented their Eco To-Go program, so I want to take advantage of that as much as I can. My goal for this eco challenge is to use the reusable to-go box as much as possible or at least bring my own silverware, so I can reduce my waste. Each day I want to have no plastic or styrofoam waste for at least 2 out of my 3 meals.