ThredUp’s Fashion Footprint Calculator Can Help You Be a More Conscious Consumer
Photo: Stella McCartney via: Refinery29
Online consignment and thrift shop ThredUp has announced the revamping of their fashion calculator that was launched in 2020. The calculator is a quiz that takes about 3 minutes and asks 10 questions about various fashion factors that affect consumers such as shipping or location. The calculator ranks the consumer's answers from low to high and bases their findings on sustainability data from various third party research and findings. The calculator allows consumers to figure out how their fashion choices impact the environment and how to be a more conscious consumer in the future.
Photo: Stella McCartney via: Refinery29
The calculator is not focused on specific garments or brands, it looks into general shopping habits. It gives consumers a percentage on how low or high their carbon footprint is compared to the average consumer and tells consumers how many pounds of carbon and emissions they contribute to a year. The revamps aim is to make the quiz more modern and go with the recent changes that have been happening in the industry when it comes to sustainability. Now, the calculator analyzes the carbon footprint of purchasing second hand garments as opposed to new and gives consumers more resources or tips on how to further reduce their carbon footprint. The calculator has also updated its data and research for more accurate results for consumers.
Photo: Camille Summers-Valli via: Ryan Chappell
Erin Wallace, ThredUp’s VP of Integrated Marketing stated, “Over the past several years, we've grown increasingly aware of fashion's environmental impact. What remains murky is how individuals can make a real difference in the face of greenwashing, overproduction, and underutilization of clothing,” they said. “We hope our Fashion Footprint Calculator can serve as a guide to empower everyone in doing their part to help us collectively move toward a more circular fashion future.”
Photo: Camille Summers-Valli via: Ryan Chappell
In general, this tool is great if a consumer wants to be held more accountable with their current shopping habits. It does not cover specific items or brands, but however, it can still be beneficial for individuals who want to learn how to do better. ThredUp has many resources that can help consumers overall. For instance, the shop has a tool called the Life Cycle Assessment Report that covers the impact of specific items and has an annual Resale Report that shows data on second hand markets and their impact. The report shows data within various categories: size and impact, economic value, environmental impact, branded resale in retail and the best brands for resale.
Photo: Camille Summers-Valli via: Ryan Chappell
ThredUp is a website that has been aiming to change fashion and consumers attitudes towards sustainability for the better. They have been giving consumers many resources in order for consumers to be more sustainable. They are making it easier for consumers to be more conscious about their buying habits. As the fashion industry becomes more plagued with overconsumption and pollution, it is important for consumers alike to be more mindful about what brands they shop with and what garments they buy today and brands need to be better about their garment making processes and their shipping.
