Online consignment store thredUP has teamed up with “Stranger Things” actress Priah Ferguson to introduce a new phone service that aims to discourage fast fashion devotees from making impulsive purchases of inexpensive apparel, much of which ends up in landfills. A third of Gen Z Americans surveyed by ThredUP said they felt “addicted” to fast fashion, which includes the reasonably priced, trendy clothing available at some of the nation’s most well-known retailers, such Zara and Forever 21.
A recorded message that plays after a US caller contacts 1-855-THREDUP says, “Hey Priah here, you’ve reached the ‘Fast Fashion Confessional Hotline,’ which indicates you want to break up with fast fashion,” according to 15-year-old Ferguson. The actress says, “You and the earth deserve better,” before
As the caller presses option 3, the actress shares her own fast fashion horror story in an effort to persuade them to return their clothing to the rack. Erin Wallace, VP of Integrated Marketing at thredUP, said this week: “We were astonished by the number of people who indicated they were completely aware of their own consumption habits and knew they had an impact on the globe, but were doing it nevertheless.”
Many young people purchase outfits for their social media feeds with the intention of tossing them after a few wears. The clothing is then tossed in the trash, where it frequently ends up in a landfill where it takes decades for it to decompose.
