During the month of April, we take some much-needed time to celebrate the beautiful planet we all know and love. Earth Day is a reminder for us to be grateful for our home. Our Panhellenic community has been putting their best “green thumb” forward by finding ways to better our campus environment and creating sustainable habits. To celebrate and learn how to help out, we chatted with Panhellenic Sustainability Chair Hayden Huber and Sustainability Marketing Chair Hannah Hemschot.
What is the Sustainability Committee, and who leads it?
The Sustainability Committee under UPC was created last semester with the mission to foster environmental responsibility within the UT Panhellenic community. Leading the way is Hayden Huber, who is the committee's Sustainability Chair. Hayden, along with her 34 active members, advocates, educates, and strategically creates action to protect our community's resources for future generations to come.
Hayden has been leading her committee and subcommittees, including Education, Event, Finance, and Marketing, through lots of projects this year. Hayden said she was inspired to lead within her committee because of her major, Textiles and Apparel, and has since combined her passions for fashion and sustainability.
“I took over the director position as I saw what the previous director was doing to build the committee up and integrate it into Texas Panhellenic. I found my way to sustainability through clothing, and about half the items in my closet are secondhand! ” Huber said.
What has the Sustainability Committee been up to?
From clean-ups to clothing drives, the committee has been active when it comes to making our campus greener and cleaner. The committee partnered with West Campus Ambassadors & Student Sustainability Council to host a clean-up. They made the event engaging for participants by throwing in HEB gift cards, chapter points, and other rewards. The cleanup collected over 60 pounds of trash and left West Campus better than they found it.
What is the Sustainability Committee working on right now?
It’s formal season, and the committee is in collaboration with ThredUp to create a more sustainable way to revolutionize fashion consumption. ThredUp is an online consignment and thrift store that wants to inspire the new generations to “think secondhand first.” The committee has been putting on a closet clean-out that aims to create a more sustainable, affordable, and circular future for fashion. Girls can donate gently used women's and kids' clothing, handbags, shoes, and accessories from any brand and can drop them off at their sorority house. The drive itself has a major impact on reducing carbon emissions by 25% and reducing landfill, as every 1 ton (2,000 pounds) of textiles diverted from landfills, over 6,000 pounds of CO2, CO2 equivalent emissions can be prevented. Even if you aren’t in the market for a formal dress, it's also a good way to declutter that closet before the school year ends!
What has the success of the Sustainability Committee been like?
Hannah Hemschot is the Marketing Chair for the Sustainability Committee and enjoyed seeing the success that their events had. She said a lot of the events are easy to participate in, which makes for better turnout and more people doing their part for the environment.
“A lot of people have clothes to donate or want clothes to rent, so that's a really easy way to, you know, be sustainable, especially in Panhellenic,” Hemschot said. “That's also why I really like this committee, it helps make things really accessible for people who might not be as familiar with what they can do to be sustainable.”
Hannah joined the committee seeking to combine her passion for being involved in her sorority chapter, as well as finding a way to tie in her Environmental Science major. She said she enjoys the science aspects of her role, and likes that the committee helps her set goals with protecting the Earth on a bigger scale.
“The committee helps me take a step back and realize why I'm doing the major that I'm doing. And at the end of the day, I'm doing it because I love the Earth, I love the environment, and the only thing I've ever wanted to do is protect it.” Hemschot said.
What will next semester look like for the Sustainability Committee?
Even with all the success of the committee this semester, their work is only getting started. The committee has goals for next semester, like continuing to work with sustainable and donated clothing. They also want to emphasize on how people can get out in their community and volunteer at places like Pease Park and the UT Microfarm. Their overall goal is to keep chapters informed about how to do their part on campus and beyond.
For now, how can we do our part?
Hayden and Hannah shared some helpful tips on how you can take the right steps to leave a more sustainable mark:
Hayden’s Tips:
Washing clothing in cold water
Combining errands to drive less
Using reusable, washable rags instead of paper towels
Unsubscribing from email lists you don't need
Hannah’s Tips:
Using reusable cups
Limiting air-conditioning use
Renting and donating clothes instead of buying
Repurposing old clothes
There are lots of ways to do some good this Earth Day. I hope this blog gives you some inspiration to go out, hug some trees, and make some lasting environmental change. After all, Earth Day only comes around once a year, so make the most of the planet we call home. Happy celebrating!
All my love,
Victoria :)