Re-fashion NYC: Making Sustainability Accessible to College Students

I will be the first to say that college is extremely busy and exhausting. Very rarely do I find myself with ample time to lounge, binge my favorite shows, or even make phone calls — all things I once took for granted. As a result, it is difficult to continue sustainable practices once so familiar. However, making the conscious decision to live a sustainable life should not be an object of concern, but rather accessible, convenient, and simple. In other words, it should become the norm.

Upon my initial trip to the laundry room at Columbia University, I noticed a large bin that resembled a thrift store donation bin. This immediately sparked interest and delight in me. Written on the bin were the words Re-fashionNYC, and a description of the company’s mission. Re-fashionNYC is the official clothing reuse program in NYC, breaking down doors in countless buildings, universities, and offices. Columbia University alone houses Re-fashionNYC bins in 18 residential buildings.

Re-fashionNYC offers bins to locations that apply in order to make sustainability accessible to those who live in the city that never sleeps. How perfect! The process could not be more convenient. Simply drop off materials and textiles — clothing, blankets, hats, belts, bags, etc. — and voila! Your work is done. Re-fashionNYC is a valid answer to objections of sustainability.

Thank you to Columbia University and participating businesses who are consciously deciding to provide sustainable options. We now have the ability to reduce the 195,000 tons of clothing waste in NYC alone to 0.

Xoxo,

Annie