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Currently, Re-Rebs clothing bins in campus residence halls are discarded boxes. Help us install permanent bins for clothing drop offs! At the University of Mississippi, we are dedicated to building a legacy of charity and sustainability. A new, innovative initiative, Re-Rebs, aims to support our university members and the broader community while leaving the environment in better shape for future generations. But we need your help to make a bigger impact!
In recent years, textile waste has emerged as a significant environmental threat, largely fueled by the rise of the fast-fashion industry. This industry churns out trendy clothing, often mass-produced and sold at low prices. Unfortunately, this has led to a culture of rapidly purchasing and discarding clothing, resulting in overflowing landfills packed with perfectly wearable items.
Young adults are most likely to buy, wear and throw away fast-fashion clothing, so the problem is especially acute on a college campus. The mission of Re-Rebs is to redirect these clothing items from Oxford’s landfills to the hands of those who truly need them.
Re-Rebs had its humble beginnings in a Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College course at Ole Miss. Our program's goal is to introduce permanent clothing donation bins in residence halls to provide UM students easy access to donation sites that will divert textiles away from landfills and put them to good use. To achieve this, we rely on your generosity and that of other donors to secure the necessary funding to purchase and install permanent donation bins.
Honors College Ambassadors will play a pivotal role in ensuring the sustained success of this program. Through the clothing collected, we will support a range of charitable organizations, including the UM Career Closet, which provides business attire to students in need; Holding Hands, a local organization employing Lafayette County residents, particularly those facing mental health challenges; and the Pregnancy Center of Oxford.
By supporting Re-Rebs, you will help implement our initiative across campus, making it easier for students to donate their clothing. This project serves as a powerful weapon against textile waste, benefits the Lafayette-Oxford-University community and raises awareness about the harmful effects of fast fashion.
Were you aware that UM boasts an impressive 15 residence halls on its campus? Re-Rebs aspires to extend its reach to every single one of these halls in the near future. The goal is to seamlessly integrate clothing donation opportunities into the daily lives of all students, making it incredibly convenient for them to reduce textile waste.
Re-Rebs was initiated within the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College through the Leadership in Public Policy Settings (PPL 373) course led by Dr. Joseph Holland. This project has established a partnership with the Honors College Ambassadors to sustain its momentum, assure its longevity and drive a substantial reduction in textile waste at UM.
A staggering 82 pounds of clothing is discarded by the average American consumer annually. By providing students with easy access to donation bins, we empower them to actively participate in curbing this alarming statistic. Moreover, this initiative serves as an educational platform, relaying the importance of donating clothing back to the university and other communities.
In the early stages of our project, we conducted a survey to gauge the need for Re-Rebs. Our survey garnered an impressive 210 responses. An overwhelming 94% reported that they or their friends discard old clothing instead of donating it. Even more encouraging, 96% expressed a strong inclination to donate if clothing donation bins were available on campus.
A generous donation of $480 will cover the expense of providing a durable steel, anti-theft clothing donation bin for a residence hall. Your contribution serves as a beacon of sustainability, guaranteeing that UM community members will enjoy continued access to these bins for the foreseeable future.