Engaging Female Refugees to Re-envision their Future through Slow Fashion

Abstract

Discarded apparel is the main source of municipal solid waste in the United States (US Environmental Protection Agency, 2019). The current system is unsustainable due to the amount of pressure it puts on nonrenewable natural resources. To address continued sustainability concerns associated with rising waste levels in landfills, in 2007 the city of Seattle (WA) established recycling strategies through the Zero Waste Resolution. This resolution shows how people can modify their lifestyle by adopting sustainable natural cycles, including repurposing discarded materials to reduce waste (Seattle Public Utilities, n.d.). In support of the Zero Waste Resolution, a Seattle based nonprofit agency developing a year-long community program for female refugees. The purpose of this study was to explore how the female trainees adopted practices in support of the city's Zero Waste Resolution, and how they transferred these practices to members of their communities.