Organizations that Promote Sustainable Fashion in Silicon Valley
Below, I’ve presented three organizations in Santa Clara county that are working to solve the issue of fast fashion and work towards more sustainable clothing choices.
- https://www.sustainablesv.org/sustainable-life/
- https://www.scu.edu/sustainability/events/ecofashion/
- https://goodwillsv.org
First is “Sustainable Silicon Valley”, an organization focused on sustainable living around the area. In addition to featuring more sustainable eating and consumer habits as well as news stories relating to sustainability, the website highlights fast fashion and ways to implement more ethical clothing choices into your lifestyle. One article in particular informs readers about the potential harms of laundry in which it contributes to plastic pollution in Earth’s bodies of water. There is also a fast fashion guide which allows readers to make more conscious clothing choices.
Next, Santa Clara University calls attention to sustainable fashion through it’s Eco-Fashion Event. The event highlights various methods of achieving sustainable clothing such as ethical consumerism, fair trade, vegan clothing, and recycled clothing. This promotes the use of sustainable fashion while showcasing the talent of SCU students, faculty, staff, and alumni. The event focuses on the impact of fashion on several aspects of sustainability including social, environmental, and economic factors. This is an annual event (non-covid times permitted) hosted by the Center for Sustainability on campus — an important organization that encourages sustainability.
Lastly, Goodwill of Silicon Valley is an organization that sells second hand clothing. While consumers can purchase used clothing at cheaper rates, this also benefits sustainability since individuals are not purchasing new clothing which engage in fossil fuel burning processes. Founded in 1928, Goodwill of Silicon Valley provides an extensive reuse and recycling operation. They have both an in-store and online presence. According to their website, in total, 40,000,000 pounds of goods were diverted from landfills.
