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Students get free clothing at Student Society for Sustainability’s upcoming Thrift Day

(Photo courtesy of Berkeley Economic Review) “Thrifting is a great step in being sustainable.”

Madison Rowley
Connector Contributor

The Student Society for Sustainability is excited to host their second Thrift Day event on April 14 from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. in University Crossing. All students are welcome to attend this event and select clothing for free. The club will be collecting donations of clothing during the week of the event and sharing more details soon.

During the Student Society for Sustainability’s first Thrift Day last fall, UMass Lowell students were able to browse a vast selection of clothing and take anything that they wanted for free. All of the clothes that were available had been donated by students and faculty of UMass Lowell. Any clothing that remained at the end of the day was donated to The Wish Project, an organization dedicated to providing clothing, furniture, and appliances to members of the greater Lowell community.

The Student Society for Sustainability (SSS) is a student group on campus dedicated to educating and spreading awareness of sustainability and sharing about UMass Lowell’s sustainability actions. This club holds weekly meetings and works closely with the UMass Lowell Office of Sustainability to promote sustainability efforts and collaborate on projects.

Billy Lefebvre, the social media coordinator of the group and an environmental science major, is a leader in organizing the Thrift Days of the group. Lefebvre says, “SSS is determined to show students that shopping can be sustainable and fun at the same time. This event shows that thrifting is not only accessible, but is a great way to add to your wardrobe and give back to your community.”

These Thrift Days promote sustainability by encouraging students to donate clothing they no longer want instead of throwing it away. Abby Mastromonaco, a co-vice president of the

Student Society for Sustainability and a plastics engineering major says, “The goal of Thrift Day is to allow students to properly donate clothes in light of the recent textile ban in Massachusetts, which prohibits the landfilling of textiles such as clothes and mattresses.”

This textile ban went into effect in Massachusetts on November 1, 2022 and bans disposing of clothing, bedding, towels and other items made of fabric into the garbage. These textiles must be donated or reused instead of thrown away. The Student Society for Sustainability’s Thrift Days provides UMass Lowell students with the ability to discard of their clothing in a way that adheres to this textile ban.

Thrift days are accessible to all students, as anyone has the opportunity to take any of the donated clothing without having to pay for it or leave campus. Riva Chatsman, the president of the Student Society for Sustainability says, “We are giving people a completely free way to shop secondhand and get clothes they may want or need.” All students are invited to attend and find clothes to incorporate into their wardrobe.

Anthony Perez, a co-vice president of the group shares his hopes for the next Thrift Day, saying, “I would love to see a large impact in students who need the clothing and students who just have an interest in increasing their sustainable practices.”

The group plans to grow the Thrift Day in April, by attracting more students to donate clothing and attend the event. Lefebvre says, “I am hoping to expand the size of our thrift day to let more students become aware of this event and what SSS is all about! I am also hoping for a larger turn-out so more students can partake in collaborating with clubs on campus.”

For more information about the upcoming Thrift Day and to learn about the Student Society for Sustainability, follow the group on Instagram at @umlsss.

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