Don’t Fill Landfills with Fast Fashion

The fast fashion industry is one of the largest contributors to environmental pollution. Durango Outdoor Exchange wants customers to make sustainable choices when it comes to clothing and sports gear. You're watching the "Local News Network" brought to you by Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers and FASTSIGNS Durango. I'm Sadie Smith. Jen LaCroix founded Outdoor Exchange 10 years ago, inspired by her passion for sustainability and her commitment to making outdoor activities more accessible and affordable. While fast fashion is popular for its low production costs and affordability, LaCroix says it has a devastating impact on the environment.

100 billion garments are produced annually. A lot of those are being purchased through fast fashion, not garments that are going to last the test of time. And 92 million items of clothing end up in landfills every year. So I think there's this impression that if you, you know, purchase fast fashion and then donate it, that no harm done, right? Like, was cheap on the wallet, it's getting donated. But oftentimes, what happens to that clothing is it ends up overseas, sitting in landfills, not actually being repurposed.

Clothing companies produce more and more low-cost garments with high percentages of polyester, a material made from acrylics. It's cheap to manufacture, but lacks durability, and takes up to 200 years to decompose.

Yeah, I don't think that everybody, when they're shopping, realizes the impacts on our natural world. And I feel really excited to be a part of the conversation that I hear families having within our store, both on a financial level, you know, that outdoor gear and apparel costs a lot to get into these sports. And so I feel like we're helping families and locals, and tourists alike, find gear that's more affordable.

The high cost of living in mountain towns like Durango leaves residents with little discretionary income to spend on outdoor activities, which often come with a hefty price tag. Durango Outdoor Exchange provides both sustainable gear and clothing at affordable prices.

What we're seeing both on consignment and on the sales floor, is that there's much less of a stigma than there used to be, that there's an excitement and a sense of purpose and feeling when somebody's selling their used gear and purchasing, that it's a values-based decision. And I think it's important to remember how much power we do have with our dollar, and that we're voting each time we spend it. And when you're able to support a small local business that is repurposing gear, it makes a huge impact.

With up to 100 billion garments produced each year, many of which end up in landfills, each sustainable purchase counts.

It really does make a difference. We often, because we're a small community or a small-ish community, we often will see pieces of gear reused several times just within this one store. And so I think, you know, extending that life of gear and apparel cuts down so much on the natural resources required. It creates a situation where not so much new is needing to be produced, and really does make a difference.

Choose sustainability. Shop secondhand at Durango Outdoor Exchange to help reduce waste, extend the life of clothing and gear, and protect our environment. For more information about this and other stories, visit durangolocal.news. Thank you for watching this edition of the "Local News Network." I'm Sadie Smith.