Shopping sustaibily with The 10 Car Pile Up
Baltimore, MD:
Every year, over 92 million tons of textile waste are produced globally. This can be attributed to the rise in fast fashion and consumer trends. To combat these rising numbers, many shoppers engage in vintage/thrift shopping. Shoppers like Joseph Shaney, and Shawn Christian prefer shopping at The 10 Car Pile Up, located on 511 York Rd, Baltimore, Maryland. Here's why:
Photo credits: Nia Burston
For many shoppers like Shaney and Christian, the longevity of vintage clothing is a contributor to why they continue to shop sustainably. “...you can find better clothes, it’ll last you longer. I had a shirt I had bought at the mall, it was decent, but it fell apart, and it got stained easily,” said Towson Student Joseph Shaney.
The owner of The 10 Car Pile Up, Shane Gullivan, is pleased with this growth in vintage shopping and continues to promote the youth to do so. His view on starting this business was to help people create their own sense of style at an affordable price. “Artists and the easily inspired were drawn to these kinds of stores, so I decided to open one of my own to continue that inspiration.”
Entrepreneur, Shawn Christian, also found that “There's a lot of excitement and culture you can captivate by just going to the thrift store,” said Christian.
Fighting textile waste with style
This rise in sustainable shopping is not only better for developing personal style, but also safer for the environment. According to The GoodWill: “When you thrift something, you are not directly supporting the demand for new things to be made, and this has a positive impact since resources and energy were already used to create that item,”
Organizations such as Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity (URGE) also speak on this issue. “When materials like cotton, linen, silk, or semi-synthetic fiber, rayon, Tencel, and modal are taken to a landfill, they degrade like other organic materials and create methane gas.”
Photo Credit: Hannah Travis
Also, synthetic fibers can be linked to various cancers. This is often dangerous for consumers wearing these pieces, but also for workers creating the clothing.
According to The International Agency for Research on Cancer, “…linked contact with formaldehyde through inhalation or dermal contact to a variety of cancers, including leukemia and melanoma. Formaldehyde was found in 20% of the clothing samples worn by pregnant mothers, babies, and toddlers in a 2022.”
Even if this information isn't widely known, consumers still have a preference for vintage shopping due to the priceless style it can have. Thus, continuing to save the environment.
Video Credit: NowThisEarth
Priceless Pieces
Even if this information isn't widely known, consumers still have a preference for vintage shopping due to the priceless style it can have. Thus, continuing to save the environment.
“...the selection of vintage shopping is like priceless some things you just cant buy online.” said Christian.
Video Credit: Nia Burston
What’s Next?
As we continue to shop online or in store, remembering the negative health impact fast fashion can provide is the easiest way to motivate us to continue vintage shopping. This not only elevates your personal style but simultaneously saves the environment.
The 10 Car Pile Up is open from Monday to Saturday, 12 p.m to 5 p.m.
Audio By: Nia Burston