Claire Phillips

I've spent my last few days of EcoChallenge researching a subject in which I've become interested in the last year: sustainable and ethical fashion. Fashion is one of the least eco-friendly industries in the world, though few people think as critically about their clothing and shopping choices as they do about their food or their transportation choices. Some relevant information - textile waste makes up approximately 5% of US landfills, it takes 1,800 gallons of water to make just one pair of jeans (this includes water used to grow cotton and to process fabric), and the clothing industry regularly uses toxic chemicals and dyes when producing clothes and often those toxins are dumped into the environments surrounding factories (e.g., http://riverbluethemovie.eco/dhaka/). Overall, I have learned a significant amount of information about clothing and fast fashion as an environmental and human rights issue, and I hope to share this information with people who are important to me. To take action regarding sustainable and ethical fashion, you can start by researching your favorite brands using https://projectjust.com/ to see what brands and manufacturers measure up to ethical standards. 

I'm very much enjoying using a reusable coffee mug! It's such a perfect habit to pick up in the fall - who doesn't love getting to sip a hot drink and hold a warm mug when it's cold outside? I'm also blessed that my service site has both coffee and mugs for me to enjoy when I come in from the cold.

I'm struggling with - but actually really enjoying - my attempt to limit my social media use to once per day. I'm finding that I feel so much more liberated when I don't feel like I have to constantly update my social media pages with witty thoughts and cool photos throughout my day. This challenge is definitely one I am going to try to continue following beyond EcoChallenge in my attempts to live more intentionally this year.