This fall, we are revamping our work in the Richmond area with Pop Up Stop events at the Richmond Marathon, the VCU Symposium on Sustainable Energy and Environment, and more!
Our Work
In April 2022, we launched the first Pop Up Stop event on Virginia Commonwealth University's Monroe Park Campus. We wanted to inform the university community about the environmental impacts of textile waste. The response was well received and we have continued to spread our call to action by hosting permanent boxes at Brandt Hall, the AFO building, and Fashion Department.
Virginia State University's Fashion Department became our first collegiate partner as we joined their March 2024 AgFest Block Party!
After the items are collected, sorted, and weighed, our team takes it to the Goodwill recycling plant to be further processed or reused again.
In June 2024, with the help of Al and Abrie at Goodwill Industries, we made a huge drop-off of 250 pounds of textile waste diverted from the landfill.
In October of 2024, Pop Up Stop was invited to showcase our research at the Institute of Sustainable Energy and Environment annual symposium, an event hosted by the VCU College of Engineering.
We presented a poster printed on fabric displaying our research regarding textile waste and the future opportunities available in the textile recycling industry.
Our History
Professor Guthrie created a system for all of the fabric waste created in fashion design studios starting in 2013 with donated large garbage bins in the 4th floor hallway of the Pollak Building.
As word spread about the bins, individuals and organizations used the bins to place their unwanted textiles and garments instead of throwing them in the trash. By 2015, over one ton of textile waste had been diverted.
To expand on these efforts, Guthrie developed POP UP STOP which is based on education and outreach on the environmental issues of textile waste.
POP UP STOP has had measurable success since its launch in 2021 with initial funding from VCU’s CEnR REAL IMPACT Grant followed by a 2022 Dean’s Faculty Exploratory Grant. The program has created partnerships with the City of Richmond, Goodwill, VCU Housing, VSU, and GMU, Cosby HS, along with a handful of local organizations. The program continues to attract dedicated student volunteers and notable this year is the addition of three UROP Federal Work Study Research Assistants. The program was able to start weighing the collected textiles in February 2024 diverting over 1,300 pounds of discarded garments and textiles from landfills.