Olivia SmithUK Recycling hosted its seventh annual Thrift Shop Pop-Up on Friday, April 4th. The event initially began in 2018 as the independent project of Olivia Tussey and Bethany Schagane, UK Recycling interns who were part of the Sustainability Internship Program. Now, in partnership with Student Government Association (SGA) and Wildcat Wardrobe, it continues to expand each year.
Traditional retail clothing can be costly for college students as well as costly for the environment. An inexpensive option often entails a low-quality product and unethical manufacturing practices. Many brands are releasing styles at a rate that requires higher production inputs, increases pollution of synthetic fibers, and creates a shorter lifespan for clothing items. This cycle creates waste unsustainable for the planet and trends unattainable for most consumers.
In a sustainable “fashion,” this event encouraged the reuse of clothes by finding them new homes within the campus community. Clothing, accessories, and shoes were collected on campus from students, faculty, and staff. With no cap on the number of items, UK students were able to shop from the pop-up store in the student center for FREE as an economically safe and sustainable alternative.
This year, the Thrift Shop Pop-Up was particularly successful, with a 22% increase in clothing collected from 2024 at a total of 1,795 lbs., and an 11% increase in the pounds of clothes redistributed during the event. Be sure to bring your friends and join us next year in supporting our sustainability efforts!
