Re-Wear It, a registered student organization, promotes conscious consumerism and sustainable fashion in the Madison community. They host bi-weekly clothing swaps for campus community members to donate unwanted clothing and pick up a new piece for their closet. By promoting conscious consumerism and creating a circular waste economy, they advance UW–Madison’s zero waste by 2040 goal. And the best part is… it’s all free!  

Along with the swaps, Re-Wear It has expanded to hosting mending and upcycling workshops and partnering with off-campus community organizations like Madison Public Libraries and St. Vincent de Paul.  

Their organization is committed to facilitating a circular clothing economy, as well as educating students about fashion and sustainability.  

This all started in Spring 2021 in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic when undergraduate student Yvett Sanchez saw a need for a sustainable fashion community on campus.  

Yvett was studying Textiles and Fashion Design and had developed an interest in sustainability as she became aware of the growing threat of climate change.  

“I started Re-Wear It during COVID, so part of me wanted a sense of community and I also saw a need for that kind of space,” said Yvett. 

Over 50 students joined immediately, proving Yvett’s observation. It began with a community focus, with the meetings consisting of group bonding activities. However, they quickly started organizing clothing swaps in Memorial Union, and with each swap, their visibility on campus grew. Membership rates skyrocketed, as did their demand for clothing storage space.  

In April 2022, a group of Re-Wear It executive board members applied to the Green Fund with the hope of setting up a physical space to host clothing swaps and store clothing. They also requested grant money for mending supplies to encourage students to repurpose their clothing before donating.  

The Office of Sustainability’s Green Fund supports student-initiated projects that address the environmental footprint, social impact, and operating costs of campus facilities. All students are welcome to apply.  

Caroline Cole, former Re-Wear executive board member, worked closely with Ian Aley, Green Fund Coordinator, on the application. She emphasized that the need for a “physical space became an important part of the proposal.”  

To make a strong application, they had to quantify their impact. They tracked the amount of clothing coming in and out of swaps to calculate how much was saved from the landfill. Today, the club continues to track its metrics, and they can be viewed on their yearly impact reports.  

“Had we not had the Green Fund as a motivator, I don’t know if we would have started tracking those things,” Caroline said.  

In the 2024-2025 school year, Re-Wear It conserved 1,837,627 gallons of water, and students and faculty saved $9,240.87.  

After review, their application was approved, and the organization was allotted a space in the Student Activity Center to store their clothing and host programming. The grant also provided funds for sewing machines, mending tools, and instructional books to teach members how to repurpose materials.  

Today, this storage space and materials allow the organization to continue expanding its impact and contribute to UW’s zero waste by 2040 goal. 

“It’s been so nice to have the capacity for an office space and also engage with members in our office,” said then-president Jordyn Czyzewski of Re-Wear It.  

This year, Re-Wear It’s leaders have made it a priority to use workshop materials as much as possible. Thanks to the Green Fund, they can now provide one-on-one mending, jewelry upcycling, and mending education workshops.  

“We’d love to keep on advancing zero waste by 2040 goals and initiatives along with expanding partnerships within the university,” said Jordyn.  

She highlighted that the most frequently donated items to Re-Wear It are free T-shirts from various campus events. Jordyn hopes that Re-Wear It can work with university officials in reducing the clothing that is being purchased in the first place.  

Caroline graduated from UW–Madison before witnessing the success of the Green Fund application. However, her experience with Re-Wear It continues to impact her professional endeavors. She is currently a master’s candidate at the University of Michigan’s School for the Environment and Sustainability, with an academic focus on circular economies, sustainability, supply chains, and end-of-life products.  

She said that “watching thousands of pounds of clothing come and go” at Re-Wear It swaps made her reflect on her own consumption and motivated her to work in sustainable sourcing and procurement. She is focused on fixing upstream issues with the fast-fashion model that dominates the clothing industry.  

Yvett was also not present at UW–Madison to see the success in the Green Fund application. However, she continues to keep tabs on the club’s growth through social media and feels proud of how far the organization has come.  

“Being able to see how much it has grown is something I’ll never take for granted,” she said. 

By: Tia Gaffney