Corps: Portland (High School)
Ravens: Brennan and Jen
What were your goals for this Operation?
To inspire people who shop at the mall to reconsider their purchasing habits and look into second-hand alternatives in their community.
Describe your Operation.
We researched the negative impacts of the fashion industry and created little stickers with information and a link to local thrift stores. We went to a mall on a Saturday and put the stickers up in the bathrooms so that people who are currently shopping can inform themselves about their impact.
What were some “Aha!” moments? (Things that happened throughout the course of planning or implementing the Operation that were surprising or noteworthy)
It’s unbelievable to learn how much our fashion industry impacts the environment and how important it is to thrift because there are so many discarded/donated clothes that never get sold.
If you had to share 3 pieces of advice with your past self about this Operation, what would they be?
Stickers are better to use than paper and tape because they will take a lot longer to rip/wash off. Also, don’t leave the stickers in individual stores because that is a lot riskier than in the bathroom of a mall. Finally, it will take a while to do the operation because you will have to keep switching bathrooms so it doesn’t seem suspicious.
What advice would you give to other activists who would like to plan a similar Operation?
Giving someone something they can do in the moment (scan the QR code with thrifting options) will be more effective than leaving them with only a sad fact.
