Reflecting on Strawberry Mountain’s First Year
It’s been just over a year since Strawberry Mountain opened its doors on Santa Fe Dr. I’m so thrilled and amazed at how far this little idea of starting a community-driven resell clothing shop has come. It’s incredible to know how many people we’ve met and left a positive impact on this year, and we’re still only getting started!
Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all who have made Strawberry Mountain successful including the awesome team that works here, the neighbors on Santa Fe, the folks who’ve sold us some great clothes, the people who’ve included us in their pop-up events, ENT Credit Union for holding a rad small business contest (That we won?! Still can’t believe it), the group of students at DU who helped make our fitting rooms possible through the Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative, and the list goes on!
Sinking your heart into something and taking a leap of faith that things will work out is scary, but the payoff can be huge, and I hope our little shop continues to prosper and bring fun, encouragement, sustainability, and of course great clothes to the greater Denver community and beyond.
Okay, so we’re about to set foot into a new year, our second year of business, and I’m filled with ideas of how to make a bigger difference in the community. My number one wish is to see more people take on buying used items and living a life that is more conscientious and friendly to the environment. I would love to see less trash, more recycling, and more composting. I would love to see more people taking responsibility for their carbon footprint and doing all they can to minimize it.
So, I pose a question — what can YOU do in 2022 to minimize waste? It may seem like a daunting problem, but imagine the difference we all could make if we chose just one change to make and remain committed to it. Because that’s the real key, right? You gotta stay committed. For example, leaving the water running while brushing your teeth wastes more than 4 gallons each time you brush. If you shut the water off while brushing, you can save almost 2,920 gallons of water in a year. That’s huge! And it’s so easy to commit to. Personally, I know that I can’t change the world single handedly. And even as a community we can’t change the whole world overnight, but if we stick together, hold each other accountable, and remain committed, we can do it!
A large part of making this change achievable is starting with education and shifting our mindset. The facts about how much waste we create as human beings is devastating and overwhelming, and the fashion industry is especially guilty
An average of 35% of all textile waste happens before the product is even sold, and on top of that, Americans generate 16 million tons of textile waste every year, over 80% of which is eventually either incinerated or sent to a landfill. It’s crazy and a little scary, but just because a task seems daunting doesn’t mean it can’t get done. Think about how powerful a colony of ants is. They’re really tiny in the grand scheme of things (as are we, to be honest), but they can take over an entire kitchen overnight if they want to. To some degree, humans are already like ants when it comes to taking over the planet, but what if we took it over with the goal of making it better? It’ll certainly take a while to make a tangible/measurable/visual difference and it starts with a change of mindset. It’s not an easy task but there are so many resources to help make your shift in mindset easier.
Okay, so what am I getting at here? I want to challenge every one of you make ONE change this year and stick to it. Just one. That’s doable, right? Maybe you start using reusable containers to pack your lunch instead of single use plastic baggies. Maybe you start buying foods in bulk and do your own food prep and prepackaging with reusable containers instead of buying individually packed snacks. There are so many options, but it starts with you — your mindset, your choices. Your choice to care, to self-reflect, to make a goal and actively chase after it, to educate yourself and others.
Here’s a little list that I hope sparks inspiration for you! If it feels right, grab it by the horns and make a difference this year!
Learn to sew to be able to repair clothing and give them a longer life
Start composting in your home (ok, not like actually inside, but get a compost bin from the city and pay attention to what you throw out and where it’s going once it leaves your possession)
Buy products with recyclable/compostable packaging
Buy naked products that don’t use any packaging at all
Start using re-usable “paper” towels
Buy used clothing instead of new as often as you can. (Even converting a larger percentage of your wardrobe to used clothing can make a huge difference. If it’s currently 0%, try for 10%, if it’s currently 25%, try for 50%)
Invest in a really nice reusable water bottle instead of buying plastic ones
If you’re like me, there's a good chance that you're excited to make a difference and want to start doing EVERYTHING you can to make it happen, but I’ve learned that sustainable change comes with sustainable goals and sustainable action. If you’re having a hard time coming up with something that you can do to make a difference in waste reduction, you’re not the only one. Take it a step at a time. Start by taking a moment to assess what’s most important to you in your daily routine. From there you may start recognizing your consumption habits/patterns and notice what sort of small changes you can make to what you already do.
Until next time,
Be excellent to each other (and the planet)
