Brief

According to Goodwill, thrift stores have been helping the environment by buying used clothing to prevent the growth of landfills. This results in reduced pollution and landfill waste. Unfortunately, there is clothing in their inventory with unsustainable and hazardous materials as it leaves consumers unaware of the details behind the clothing that they continue to purchase.

Although thrift stores are stopping these types of materials from going into the landfill, buying such clothing contributes to the problem since it demands more product to be made; regardless if it is brand new or used.

Challenge

How can a user understand the details in the materials used in clothing and become more aware of the environment and the conscious decisions they make in their everyday life?

Result

The development of a mobile application that displays the details of materials from pieces of clothing and how their production affects the environment. The application is able to scan the garment label and identify the materials used to give more information on its production. To develop a satisfactory, second-hand shopping experience, points are rewarded from customers’ purchases and can be redeemed for incentives and discounted prices.

The project is imagined to be in collaboration with major Canadian thrift stores (Goodwill, Value Village & Salvation Army) to provide a space where there is inventory of materials that consumers are continuously purchasing without the appropriate knowledge. It is intended to not only display an innovative way for sustainable shopping but to become a learning experience and inspire users to contribute more environmentally conscious decisions.

A case study presentation can be found here for more research and insights.

A prototype to display its basic functions can also be found here.