on

They say if you have a problem, trace it to the source. One of the most contentious issues with fast fashion is at its very root: the materials that are employed to produce these garments at a rapid-fire pace. Synthetic materials, such as polyester, are some of the most popular materials in the fast fashion industry and contribute to energy-intensive processing and textile production chains that release GHGs and microfibre ocean pollution. 

One of the best ways to solve this issue is to reduce the usage of new synthetic or environmentally harmful virgin resources each time and in turn, replace them with recycled materials. This can be done through our model of the TRADE IN AND TOKEN INTERNATIONAL PLATFORM available online. This newly developed system will allow universal clothing brands seeking to move towards a sustainable direction to participate in this trade and in token program. 

The concept is simple: customers will be able to "trade-in" used everyday apparel clothing previously bought from any of the clothing brands listed (as long as the clothes are functioning in quality condition) to the brand's nearest retail location box or shipped directly to the processing centre. In return, the customers will receive retail TOKENS. (Amount of tokens received will be based on a material v.s. money rating scale which will tell you how much your type of garment is worth.) These tokens can be used on the platform as retail credit (one token = 10$) towards purchasing any used item on that company's "used clothing sales" portion of its page. This ensure clothes in great condition remaining unused and unloved can get sent in from all across the globe and find a new home without any extra production or consumption occurring. This will "close the loop" on unnecessary garment production and encourage customers to look towards affordable, AND sustainable options for updating their closet. Of course, the used clothing sale portion of the company's page will also be open to the public to continue fostering interest in high-quality garments without contributing to the fast fashion model of an unnecessary obsession with the new. 

While there may already be such a trade-in for dollars (at your local thrift shop, etc.) program near you, there is no current international platform that is as organized as this proposal where SO many brands can come to collaborate on a single online platform/app at once. Having all these brands organized on one page will be really effective in bringing attention to customers all the truly sustainable partner brands and programs available to them through one website click: the platform will have it all neatly packed into a single URL, eliminating the need for customers to constantly put in research and reach out to every company one-on-one or not know their options. This facilitated program means it is really simple for customers to participate in a circular fashion model, and the simpler a system is the more likely individuals are likely to participate. To conclude, it even offers customers another place to put their old unused clothes without mass donations to the local thrift shop: as stated by CBC, only 25% of donations at thrift shops actually get re-sold. The rest are mass purchased and exported to developing countries, often overwhelming them with Western resources which harm local clothing economies and markets.