As fast fashion companies continue to profit off of college students’ bank accounts, the University of Denver’s on-campus thrift store provides students a sustainable and budget-friendly alternative place to shop.

Following three years of operating solely out of pop-up shops, the DU Thrift Store opened the doors of its brick-and-mortar location to the public in October 2021. It is run by DU’s Center for Sustainability and is located within the Sustainability Marketplace.

The DU Thrift Store resells items that students donate, with shelves stacked high with everything from shoes to kitchen appliances to mirrors. Clothing, however, is the most popular item to be donated.

“At DU, clothing is a huge issue. We get more clothes donated than any other item. When we are going through our donations, it seems to me like some people literally give away their entire wardrobe,” said Emily Schosid, Sustainability Program Coordinator.

Kayla Fatemi-Badi, the DU Thrift Store’s manager, echoed this sentiment and noted that the main benefit of having a thrift store on campus is the reduction in annual clothing waste.

“We take so many donations at the end of the year when students are moving out of their dorms, so instead of those clothes going into a landfill, we repurpose and resell them here,” she said.

While the store’s inventory is rotated weekly in hopes that all items will sell, clothing that does not resell or is damaged is given to Arc Thrift Stores for textile recycling.

“That’s something that people can count on when they donate to us. If we can possibly divert it away from a landfill we will, and I don’t know that every thrift store will do the same,” said Schosid.

The DU Thrift Store also features two sewing machines, open for all students to use. Schosid explained that the hope is to eventually offer workshops for students to learn how to upcycle their clothing or do minor repairs.

“Since fast fashion is so prevalent, a lot of times people get rid of those clothes because they were made quickly and cheaply and they break, so we wanted to be able to show folks how to repair those items,” Schosid said.

While the Thrift Store is doing its best to combat the textile waste created by fast fashion consumption, Fatemi-Badi explained it can be difficult to tackle the problem at the source.

“It’s hard to tell a person who’s not economically well-off that they shouldn’t be ordering from [fast fashion] sites. They shouldn’t be excluded from trends just because they are financially incapable of purchasing ethically-made clothing,” she said.

The problem only escalates for those involved with sorority life. Between required clothing pieces for events and staying on-trend for formals, fast fashion prices are often the only option members have.

“The amount of clothes you’re required to buy for a sorority is not financially feasible for everybody, so people will turn to sites like Shein,” Fatemi-Badi said.

Fast fashion companies like Shein, H&M and Zara are known for their cheap prices, unfair labor practices and harm to the environment. DU’s Thrift Store, however, offers a unique solution to avoiding these fast fashion brands.

“Our thrift store is a great option because these are all donations from college students for college students. It’s more on-trend and more of what students might be looking for compared to a larger thrift store,” Fatemi-Badi said.

Accessibility is the goal at the DU Thrift Store. The store compensates for the lack of thrift stores within walking distance of DU’s campus, plus everything is sold for under $5.

Schosid hopes to expand the store’s outreach by partnering with student engagement groups to foster more awareness surrounding fast fashion, even if it’s something as small as encouraging students to thrift their Halloween costumes.

Schosid also noted an impending relocation in the Thrift Store’s future, commenting on the move’s impact.

“Where we are physically located will matter to the future of our program,” Schosid said. “Ideally, folks would know [the store] is there, and it would encourage them to look there first and keep items circulating within our small community while they’re still useful.”

Schosid and Fatemi-Badi hope the Thrift Store will become an integral part of DU’s community, functioning as a space that brings students together.

“We want to foster a space that allows students to gather and be socially conscious together,” said Fatemi-Badi.

The DU Thrift Store is open six days a week and is located next to the Gear Garage and Food Pantry in Centennial Towers.