Danielle Osborne of Closest Closet On 5 Things We Must Do To Inspire The Next Generation About Sustainability And The Environment
An Interview With Martita Mestey
Be a good example. This younger generation is always watching, so make sure to lead by example and show them how to be engaged in supporting our environment.
As part of my series about what we must do to inspire the next generation about sustainability and the environment, I had the pleasure of interviewing Danielle Osborne.
Danielle Osborne is the Founder and CEO of Closest Closet, a community-driven online platform dedicated to transforming the way people consume fashion. Danielle is a passionate advocate who runs Closest Closet in her spare time, working full-time as the Associate Director of Student Services at a school near Chicago serving students ages 5–21 who have autism or other emotional, behavioral or developmental disabilities. She currently resides outside Chicago with her family.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about how you grew up?
I grew up in a home with two hard-working parents: my mom was a teacher and my dad was working his way up at Oscar Mayer. My two younger sisters and I were always the cool kids at the lunch table with our Lunchables. My parents have always exemplified what a true partnership can look like by squashing gender roles. Dad did the cooking and mom was more of the rule enforcer, which at the time was opposite of a lot of our friends’ families. While I joke that my mission is to offset the environmental impact of my sisters, we grew up in a house where waste, especially food waste, was very frowned upon. At meal time we were always told, “Take what you want, eat what you take.” A few years ago my dad and I were walking on a beach, he dipped left and I dipped right and when we got back in stride we both had someone else’s garbage in our hands. Small actions done by a large group can change the world. Sure we can all consume what we want, but wouldn’t it feel really great if we all consumed only what we need?
Was there an “aha moment” or a specific trigger that made you decide you wanted to become a scientist or environmental leader? Can you share that story with us?
For years, I was a compulsive fast fashion shopper, often seeking out TJ MAXX stores when I was traveling to find the latest trends in other regions or parts of the world. I bought so many clothes I wore one time, and many I never wore at all. When I would clean out my closets every few months, I’d take a huge donation to Goodwill, thinking I was being a productive, generous do-gooder! But that all came to a screeching halt in 2017. I was teaching in Thailand and traveling throughout Southeast Asia, where I consistently saw clothes littered on the beautiful beaches, on streets and in parks. I learned that every year, donation centers ship 700,000 tons of used clothing overseas. By the time it arrives, most of it is in such terrible condition that the pieces can’t be resold or repurposed, and with a lack of recycling infrastructure, these garments become part of the landscape. I came home with a nagging feeling that I — and we — could do better, and start with the choices we make around shopping. So I started Closest Closet, a community-driven online platform dedicated to transforming the way people consume fashion. Closest Closet is a low-cost subscription clothing swap model, allowing members to use their clothing as currency on the platform, helping them stay stylish, save money and curb environmental impacts. Together, we are leading a movement toward less waste and less spending, all while continuing to enjoy the joys of shopping without the harmful consequences to our planet.
Is there a lesson you can take out of your own story that can exemplify what can inspire a young person to become an environmental leader?
The lesson I’d like young people to take away from my story is that small ideas can spark big change. Pay attention to what bothers you and figure out how you can make a difference, whether it’s addressing overconsumption, animal welfare, single-use plastics and more. Believe that what you have to offer can inspire major positive movements toward a better, cleaner and more sustainable future.
Can you tell our readers about the initiatives that you or your company are taking to address climate change or sustainability? Can you give an example for each?
Closest Closet’s core principle is utilizing a circular fashion model to keep textiles in circulation and out of landfills. The fashion industry is the second largest pollutant — second only to the oil industry — and it’s within everyone’s control to change that. By incentivizing members to participate in Closest Closet through immediate credits for “new” clothes every time they add something from their closet to the platform, we are effectively contributing to a decrease in water and trees used in the production of clothing (70 million trees are cut down every year for clothing and 200 tons of fresh water are needed to dye one ton of fabric), as well as helping reduce the amount of textiles that end up in our oceans (currently 190,000 pounds of textile microfibers are found in oceans every year). Additionally, we offer drop off as an option instead of shipping when shoppers live in close proximity to each other.
Can you share 3 lifestyle tweaks that the general public can do to be more sustainable or help address the climate change challenge?
- Participate in clothing swapping or renting! This is an incredible (and fun!) way to keep the fashion industry in check, lowering demand for the latest fashion trends and helping keep clothing out of landfills, oceans and more.
- Compost! We cook a lot at home and when we moved from the city to the suburbs I was thrilled to be able to have a backyard and a composter. We keep a latched bin under the sink and all compostable items go into the bin. When the bin is full it gets turned in the composter and the fertile soil is used in our garden. We have greatly reduced the amount of garbage we have on a weekly basis and my family is very mindful about food scraps getting eaten instead of going into the compost bin.
- Plastic water bottles are an absolute “No No!”. Everyone in the family has a metal water bottle we retrieved from lost and found or a donation center. We carry these water bottles everywhere we go and fill them up along the way.
Ok, thank you for all that. Here is the main question of our interview: The youth-led climate strikes of September 2019 showed an impressive degree of activism and initiative by young people on behalf of climate change. This was great, and there is still plenty that needs to be done. In your opinion, what are 5 things parents should do to inspire the next generation to become engaged in sustainability and the environmental movement? Please give a story or an example for each.
1 . Encourage your kids to shop sustainably — know where their clothing is coming from, or better yet, opt to shop second-hand, swap or rent clothing instead of buying. While fast fashion is tempting, it will undoubtedly continue to wreak havoc on the planet and have noticeable impacts on the next generation.
2 . Travel! Seeing other parts of the world and understanding how other people live is crucial to having a heart for our planet. We are all part of this one beautiful world, and it’s our job to take care of it.
3 . Volunteer for clean-ups in your community. Seeing litter first-hand (and picking it all up by hand) may help kids think twice before buying something new.
4 . Show your kids how to advocate for the issues that are important to them by reaching out to local lawmakers and expressing themselves. They could even run for office someday with a platform they are passionate about now!
5 . Be a good example. This younger generation is always watching, so make sure to lead by example and show them how to be engaged in supporting our environment.
How would you articulate how a business can become more profitable by being more sustainable and more environmentally conscious? Can you share a story or example?
Sustainability is having a moment, hopefully a long moment. As a business owner of a sustainable business, it’s really important for Closest Closet to differentiate itself from similar competitors. There are platforms out there that preach practices, but as sustainability becomes more of a priority to the everyday consumer, the profitability will be the unique value proposition a particular platform offers. One example we have found to be successful for us is having a brick and mortar Closest Closet store where members can bring their clothing to the process and shop other local members’ items. This mashup between an online platform and flagship store gives us the ability to pivot in a few ways to reach our potential members.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
My co-founder and dear friend, Steve Tazic, has been a tremendous asset to all things Closest Closet. Steve has been a champion for Closest Closet since receiving a WhatsApp message from me in 2016 about the fast fashion waste I was seeing across southeast Asia. With his background in tech and web design he was able to cobble together a prototype with all the features Closest Closet’s platform has today. While our day to day business tasks run parallel, we are always involved in one another’s problem solving and execution. Closest Closet would not be what it is today with Steve’s tenacity at ensuring a top-notch user experience.
You are a person of great influence and doing some great things for the world! If you could inspire a movement that would bring the greatest amount of good to the greatest amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
Our movement toward less waste and less spending is already in motion — join us at Closest Closet! We are on a mission, one shopper at a time, to make sure our shopping choices have a positive impact on the environment and the next generation, while still having fun and keeping our wardrobes fresh!
Do you have a favorite life lesson quote? Can you tell us how that was relevant to you in your own life?
“Be the change you wish to see in the world,” Mahatma Gandhi. I lead by example in every aspect of my life, with my habits, leading my staff at school, how I parent, and show up is really important to me. If my actions are contrary to the mission I have with Closest Closet, I can not hope for others to make small changes that move us all toward becoming more thoughtful consumers.
What is the best way for people to continue to follow your work online?
Check out closestcloset.com and follow us on Instagram @ClosestCloset.
This was so inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
Danielle Osborne of Closest Closet On 5 Things We Must Do To Inspire The Next Generation About… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.