Saving the Planet, One Thrift Shop at a Time
Smiths Falls District Collegiate Institute
Upcycling - But Make it Stylish
The SFDCI Environmental Club and volunteers launched their ReStyle clothing shop this year!
This mobile thrift shop is composed of 100% donated clothing, shoes, and accessories, where all proceeds are donated to the school breakfast program to support their students.
They opened the store after school hours and evenings during other school events such as parent-teacher interviews, community dinners, their annual plant sale, etc.
Their goal is to educate staff, students, and consumers on the environmental advantages of upcycling, the importance of diverting clothing from landfills, and provide a great opportunity to shop locally.
To remain as sustainable as their mandate to environmental education, they used recycled pallets, donated paint, and community clothing and hanger donations.
Items that weren’t in good condition to sell in the store were donated as scrap fabric for the sewing club and art class. Next time, they hope to donate extra items to the Jewel Store (Big Brothers and Sisters) and Salvation Army.
They had the store open eight times and sold 145 items, raising approximately $363 for their breakfast program!
What a great accomplishment for their first time!
This project is sustainable for many years to come. They can continue to ask for clothing donations and more hangers year after year. They can offer community service hours to their students as part of their graduation requirements. Students learned organization, money management, tracking, building/assembly/painting, and teamwork skills.
