Zoe Martin
Week 6
Be Green Challenge
As this challenge concludes, I am actually very proud of how much my consumer behaviors have changed. On the first day of class, Professor Valverde asked us how often we shopped and I was too afraid to admit that I online shopped every day. Retail therapy had always been a stress release for me. As we covered topics such as fast fashion and sustainability in class, I realized that I was a big contributor to the fashion industry’s wastefulness. As a design major with an emphasis in clothing and textiles, I really want to be aware of my choices as I intend to work in the second most pollutant industry (after oil).
In the past five weeks, I managed to get away with only buying a formal dress (which I can also wear to the two weddings I need to attend this summer) and cosmetics. I am definitely a lot more selective about the clothing I buy. I consider where and how it is made, what it was made out of, and if I can wear it three different ways with the clothing I already own. I have adapted a “quality over quantity” mentality. Additionally, when purchasing cosmetics, I am a lot more aware of what goes into my products.
Overall, I think the Be Green Challenge changed my shopping habits for the better and I am glad that I actually took this challenge seriously. I have a new awareness about what I’m purchasing and its origins (physically, economically, and socially). I have implemented a recommendation from the article Santa’s Sweatshop, and I choose to “vote with my dollars.”
References:
Holstein, William. "Santa's Sweatshop." U.S. News & World Report. Volume 121, Issue 24, December 16, 1996.
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