Questioning overconsumption and our wasteful fashion system

Apr 10

Sharing her wisdom here is Sarah-Jayne Smith, Founder of Magpies and Peacocks, the only nonprofit design house in the U.S. that's disrupting the cycle of waste in the fashion industry.

Hear about how exposures to different cultures can help us to think outside the box, the role of designers in our culture and economy, the recyclability of different types of fabrics, and more.

If you feel inspired by this episode, please consider donating a gift of support of any amount today!

MAKE A DONATION

This is a conversation on Green Dreamer Podcast with Kaméa Chayne, a show exploring environmental and intersectional sustainability from ideas to life. Subscribe to Green Dreamer on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, or any podcast app and let’s learn what it takes to thrive in every sense of the word!

Highlights:

[3:01] Kaméa: "Do you think the amount of space that Americans have compared to other countries in the world has, in part, inspired this culture of disposability?"

[7:32] Sarah-Jayne explains what her organization, Magpies and Peacocks, does.

[9:51] Kaméa: "Do you think there's been a devaluing of design and decreasing levels of appreciation of design from consumers because now, there are so many options available so quickly?"

[14:18] What Sarah-Jayne thinks it was that allowed the industry to become so wasteful.

[18:50] Kaméa: "What do you think acting as a nonprofit has allowed you to do that operating as a business may not have?”

[20:58] The recyclability of different types of fabrics.

[23:50] Kaméa: "How can we best encourage a less disposable culture going forward?"

[25:06] Sarah-Jayne: "You are an influencer—we all are... We are being influencers all day, every day—we just need to recognize the value in that. It isn't just in pictures or in being notable for it."

References:

85% of clothing ends up in landfills (Article)
China bans the importation of textile waste (Article)

About our Guest

Born in London, Sarah-Jayne Smith is the founder of Magpies & Peacocks, the only nonprofit design house in the United States which is dedicated to the collection, curation, and sustainable reuse of post-consumer textiles.

Keep in touch

Tips

Inspiration: Ellen MacArthur Foundation

Note to self: "Rome wasn't built in a day... It takes patience and perseverance."

Health practice: "We make a point of doing things we love like drinking wine, cooking good food, and loving on our dogs."

Sustainability practice: "I'm curating waste and keeping everything separated so it can be recycled."

Element of hope: Sarah-Jayne's team keeps her hopeful.

Closing words: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." —Margaret Mead

Sponsor

Arbor Teas is a small, family-owned business based in Ann Arbor, Michigan with a big focus on sustainability. The company only sources loose leaf and organic certified teas, packages all its teas in backyard compostable materials, uses solar power in its operations, and offsets all of its emissions with CarbonFund. We're grateful for our sponsors making our show possible and invite you to shop organic teas from Arbor Teas.