Written by Samantha Nordstrom
The Patchwork Initiative hosted a clothes swap and mending workshop from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Nancy Richards Design Center at Colorado State University on April 10. Lisa Goldsand, the founder of sustainable startup Circular Thrift LLC, instructed the workshop and discussed localized ways to advance sustainable clothing consumption with students.
“Lisa’s presentation was incredibly captivating,” Patchwork Initiative Coordinator Sophia Richter said. “It was awesome to hear how her experience working for Abercrombie for 30 years shaped her perspective on making the Circular Thrift initiative.”
During the workshop, Goldsand showed students how to mend socks using a process called “darning,” which is mending a hole by interweaving yarn. Richter, who helped organize the event, said Goldsand offered great feedback on ways to improve the Patchwork Initiative at CSU.
“I find that even though I would consider myself well-versed in the realm of clothing consumption, there is always so much to learn,” Richter said.
Goldsand’s startup, which she launched in Bexley, Ohio, offers consumers convenient ways to scale the re-use of clothing. These methods include publicly accessible clothing drop bins, community clothing swaps, pop-up thrift shops, and remanufacturing projects. Goldsand’s goal is to raise awareness about clothing consumption and shift consumer behavior towards re-use instead of new purchases.
In 2023, the start-up collected and sorted over 13,000 units of clothing, hosted 9 swap events and tracked the environmental impact of these localized activities. Learn more about the model and its impact at circularthrift.org, and follow @circularthriftllc on Instagram.
After the presentation, the clothing swap commenced. Goldsand also gave advice on how to launch and manage a community swap-based thrift store on CSU’s campus. According to Richter, the “thrift store project” launched in the Fall 2023 semester within the Patchwork Initiative and has since been continued through the Eco Leader Cohort independent projects. This semester, the project’s focus was building proposals and a strong research foundation.
If you’re interested in getting involved, follow the Patchwork Initiative on Instagram or email Sophia.Richter@colostate.edu. Additionally, follow the Student Sustainability Center on Instagram and subscribe to the Green Bulletin email list to stay updated on the latest events.
