We are also an ambassador for and Myclothesmyworld. Who we are
Green Shirt was started after realizing the frustrations of the clothing industries. Both second hand and new clothing industries are using deception to make consumers think their donations are going to be reused, or given in good hands. When in reality, over 90% of it will end up in landfill. This will solve probl
ems by Breaking the Consumer Cycle:
Consumers throw away shoes and clothing [versus recycle], an average of 70 pounds per person, annually. By promoting reuse, they wont go to landfill. Amongst Textile recycling programs, about 85% of this waste goes to landfills where it occupies about 5% of landfill space, this amount is growing. Its important since :
North America is the largest global importer of garments; nearly 40% of products sold are imported from China. It Takes more than 5,000 gallons of water to make a shirt and jeans. Textiles is the one of the most wasteful industry in China, discharging over 2.5 billion tons of waste annually
According to NPR reports, from the Environmental Protection Agency, that 15.1 million tons of textile waste was generated in 2013, of which 12.8 million tons were discarded. (NPR,2019,http://www.npr.org/2016/04/08/473513620/)
About 15% of fabric intended for clothing ends up on cutting room floor. This waste rate has been tolerated industry-wide for decades. According to Christina Dean,( Redress), waste generated in China is not known, with estimates that China will soon make 50% of the world’s clothing – the indications for textile waste there are mind-blowing. Daily in Hong Kong, there are 253 tons of textiles sent to landfill. (cited: https://edgexpo.com/fashion-industry-waste-statistics/ accessed, 2/20/19)
1b) On a Global perspective: (Industries and fast fashion are blinding consumers about the impacts of the textile industry on the) there are environments, and ethical issues, (involving cheap, often child labor.)
1c) Industrial Perspective:My experience working at the thrift
( Time to change the industry)
-Stores sets merchandise out for a maximum of 2 weeks, before being
sold and exported for low prices, only to be burned to shred, if left unsold.
-often scamming consumers: organizations like Value Village are FOR PROFIT (as a former worker, of for profit stores like value village with billion dollar revenues, It is a fact that of the 100 tons of clothing get donated each year, 90% of it never gets sold in canada, or donated. The current model is collect from non-profits for cheap prices, and sell for more, but the non profits are encouraging consumers to buy more clothing since consumers feel like it is the right thing to do. As a result, this cycle causes more damage than good. For profit Industries are thriving off of fast fashion and consumer consumption. The donations over fill the warehouse, and ends up getting discarded due to lack of space. It’s time for canadians to handle our clothing and bring back our economy by supporting our civilians, not external corporate organizations. Our website address is: http://greenshirteco.com. Green Shirt was started out of my passion for the environment and my dream to promote reuse amongst my community. I love clothes and brands, but I also care about the environmental impacts that our actions cause. What are the things that I do in my freetime ? Brainstorming ways to keep my environmental impacts minimal is one of my pass times and thinking about environmental initiatives in the technological space is a dream of mine. I want to think bigger and try to promote reuse to as much people as possible. I currently go to school in the GTA Toronto Area, but I still know that I have to do more than just be passive during the one lesson on the carbon cycle. I have to push myself to be more open to possibilities, in order to make a larger change and impact. This is why I am dedicating this organization, green shirt to promoting and combating the number one most prominent issue that is still feasible and that we, as females, gen-z, and civilians of humanity can do to at least try to eradicate the impacts of the industry. It is essential to shoot for the moon, for if we miss, we will stay land among the stars. I believe that having the hard work and aptitude is important, but so is an open mind, a free-spirit, and motivation will help us along the way. Accolades
Top 20 Finalist for OCE (Ontario Centres of Excellence) Make Your Pitch Competition
Summer Company Business program Participant
Able to donate over 2000 pounds of clothing to 5 different sites/organizations (3 different Salvation Army’s , The Open Door and The Open Window Hub)
Contributing over 280 hours to the initiative
Also Shipped over 20 Boxes of clothes to people across Canada
Shipped 60+ pounds of lotion and hygiene products to YWCA Agvvik in Iqaluit, Nunavut
Went to Varadero Cuba and donated to 35 pound suitcases for Humanitarian Aid, (70 pounds total) with Not Just Tourists. These contain important items including gauze pads, bandaids, and other medical supplies.
