Students at American University of Sharjah (AUS) celebrated Earth Day 2022 by taking a stand against fast fashion.
A new fashion swap initiative encouraged students to exchange clothes, shoes and accessories at a pop-up thrift shop on campus. Fashion is a $2.4 trillion-dollar global industry that contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, microplastics being released into oceans and massive water consumption, according to the UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion.
Organized by AUS Sustainability, the initiative was implemented by AUS EcoReps, a group of enthusiastic students with a desire to promote sustainable change on campus and educate their student peers on issues such as waste reduction, energy conservation, diversity and tolerance.
“The basic idea behind the initiative is to encourage students to make sustainability part of their everyday life decisions and show them that being sustainable doesn’t have to be difficult. People often believe that to be sustainable we have to take big steps, like be a part of campaigns, commit to a vegan lifestyle, give up fast fashion completely and so on. This is really not the case” said Vini Rupchandani, a double major in physics and psychology and AUS EcoRep.
She added: “Sustainability is not an ‘all or none’ concept. It is more about deliberately thinking about our choices and seeking alternatives that are more beneficial and healthier not just for us but also the environment and community around us. By giving AUS students the opportunity to swap clothes, we wanted to open one such alternative for them when it comes to fashion and lifestyle choices.”
This is the first clothes swap that AUS Sustainability has organized in a thrift store-style event. The initiative received positive feedback from the AUS community with more than 50 volunteers taking part in its organization and hundreds of clothing items dropped off by students. Traded clothes adhered to rigid submission guidelines to ensure their top condition and cleanliness.
“The biggest takeaway for students from this initiative is to understand that sustainability and sustainable living does not mean a lack of ‘fashion’ and it definitely does not require students to give up things they are passionate about and enjoy, like dressing up and staying up-to-date with the latest trends. I think this event will really help them see that it is quite easy to find alternative choices to fast fashion that are sustainable and still allow you to get the clothes and items you want,” said Rupchandani.
She added: “Students often associate sustainability simply with protecting the environment, when it is so much more than that. It is about a balanced lifestyle, social justice and equal opportunity, our own overall wellbeing and the choices we make–all of it ties into sustainability. Our hope is that this event pushes students to think further about other everyday life choices they make, like the food they consume, the places they purchase books from and so on and look for better alternatives that are accessible, affordable and sustainable.”
Ali Almajedi, a computer engineering student with a minor in physics, dropped off clothes he felt he did not need any more and traded them for items from the shop.
“The overall goal of this initiative is great. Not only do students get to practice sustainable living but also get the opportunity to give away and replace clothes they have that they no longer want for other items. Having more initiatives such as this one on campus would be great, especially that we have students graduating and leaving every semester and I am sure an initiative like this will allow them to give away things that may be useful for others, leading to more sustainable fashion consumption,” he said.
Bhavika Vohra, an accounting student who volunteered in the collection of clothes and setting up the shop, said she was very happy to see such an initiative take place on campus.
“It is really a good initiative that can have a positive impact. It will encourage students to believe in sustainable living. As a business major, I believe that the fashion industry is driven by what we, the customers, want and if we change our way of living, these companies will have to change to meet our new needs,” said said.
Vohra added: “I have seen great interest from students during the five days I volunteered there. One student came with 50 clothing items. Like all donating students, he received credit to use to buy from the clothes swap shop. He had a lot of credit left after he finished his purchases from the shop, which he shared with other students. It is great to see students who believe in this sustainable mission.”
AUS is widely recognized for its sustainability initiatives. The university is currently developing its first comprehensive Climate Action Plan with the goal to reduce carbon emissions. The plan further aligns the university’s sustainability efforts with the UAE’s Net Zero by 2050 strategic initiative announced in October 2021. AUS is also a member of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), and is the GCC region’s best performing university in AASHE’s Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS), having been awarded a Silver rating. In 2020, AUS became the Gulf region’s first university to begin to ban single-use plastics across its campus. Additionally, the university’s Engineering and Sciences Building received a highly sought-after 2 Pearl rating by Estidama, a sustainable development initiative of the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council. AUS was also the recipient of the Green Audit Award as part of the Abu Dhabi Environmental Agency’s Sustainable Campus Initiative for university students.
For more information about AUS and its sustainability work, visit www.aus.edu/sustainability.