Here is a selection of three existing sources that explore similar areas that we are interested for our own project:
Shaukat, A.K., and Kamal, M.A. 2010. “Study of Visco-elastic Properties of Shoppers Waste for Its Reuse as Construction Material.” Construction and Building Materials 24 (8). 1340-351.
We are looking at thrift stores as a way to address the problem of excess waste produced through consumerism. We are exploring a method of reuse, not recycling. Similarly, this study looks at how to reuse the plastic waste that comes from shoppers. For example, the first key words listed for this article are “shopper waste” and “reuse”. This study assesses how plastic waste from excess consumption and can be reused in a different industry as construction material.
Luz, Claudio. “Waste couture: Environmental impact of the clothing industry.”Environmental Health Perspectives 115, no. 9 (2007): A448.
This article outlines the entire lifecycle of clothing. We are focused on the reselling through second hand stores, however this article continues to focus on the other avenues that excess clothing may go through. This is similar to our study in the way that it looks at solutions to the problem of excess clothing, emphasizing different solutions to this problem. One of these is textile recycling. Another interesting example that is similar to our focus on thrift stores in the US is, selling excess clothes overseas to be sold in “vintage American” stores for a much higher price. Looking at the international scale of second hand stores is a larger context than our project will cover, but is an interesting part of this problem.