Karlene Curtin | Staff Writer

Oregon is home to some of the finest thrift stores in the U.S. and has some of the best clothing finds that are far  cheaper than corporate clothing stores. By thrift shopping, one is encouraging recycling thus creating a cleaner environment.

Planet Aid, a website that encourages different ways of recycling says, “Nearly 100% of clothing is recyclable.” The clothing that is thrown away goes into landfills otherwise known as textile waste.

Harmony, a website that gives information about different waste solution says, “The U.S. EPA estimates that textile waste occupies nearly 5% of all landfill space. While the EPA estimates that the textile recycling industry recycles approximately 3.8 billion pounds of post-consumer textile waste (PCTW) each year, this only accounts for approximately 15% of all PCTW, leaving 85% in our landfills.”

Also according to Harmony, the average American throws away 70 pounds of clothing annually and textiles take approximately 25 to 50 years to biodegrade. These numbers add up per person, and landfills are now overflowing with clothing that could have been donated to thrift stores — perhaps, the problem could have been prevented by buying secondhand in the first place. By secondhand shopping, or maybe giving clothing away to family and friends, it encourages recycling and also saves money in the long run. When one donates to thrift stores, they are preventing clothing from going into landfills; by shopping at one, it is also likely to save a consumer at least 50% of what they’d usually spend on clothing.

There are many Thrift Stores in the area, such as  Fashion Sense & Home Store and Robins Roost Resale Store which are both located in Independence. By thrift shopping, I have not only saved money but have found different approaches to my style — I love finding old band t-shirts and other vintage clothing. My style becomes more one of a kind without breaking the bank. It is worth donating and checking out local thrift stores to not only save money but the environmental as well.

Contact author at kcurtin14@wou.edu

Photo by Ashlynn Norton