Uniform Sustainability

Reuse programs at Dallas private schools reduce waste, save families money

Fast-fashion, a recent plague on sustainability, is built on the massive consumption of low-quality, typically trendy clothing that ultimately ends up in Goodwill or the dump within months.  

However, Dallas private schools, such as The Hockaday School, Ursuline Academy, St. Mark’s School of Texas, and Parish Episcopal School, actively work against this development with uniform resale programs.  

Uniforms already slow the fast-fashion cycle as they require students to need fewer day-to-day clothes. Instead of purchasing an entire wardrobe to wear throughout the year, families need only purchase a few sets of the exact same outfit.  

Still, some aspects of a typical uniform lead to issues.  

As uniforms are so specific, students have a limited ability to use them after their time at the school. Besides perhaps the shirt and socks, what are students to do with uniform blazers, skirts, and pullovers? The uniqueness and branding behind the clothing cause most uniform items to end up thrown away immediately after graduation.  

To prevent this, many private Dallas schools have created programs to keep worn uniforms in their school systems. These programs follow a very similar set up: Students can donate used uniforms in good conditions which other students can then purchase. Essentially, they’ve created a school-specific thrift store.  

What is accepted depends on the school and its guidelines.  

Most schools accept spirit wear and everyday school uniforms, but parameters vary by program. For example, St. Mark’s Lion’s Closet also sells P.E. uniforms. Also, some schools accept clothes in “good” condition while others only take those in “excellent” condition. 

Price is also dependent on the individual school. Sustainable programs typically lower the cost of these items to encourage purchasing and to make the items more accessible. Such stores not only have a positive impact on the environment but, as Heather Mills, director of communication at Parish, responded, “particularly help families who receive varying levels of tuition assistance.”  

Some schools, like St. Mark’s, Hockaday, and Parish, sell pre-owned items for a lower cost, while others, like Ursuline’s St. Ursula’s Closet, do not charge for their items.  

Outside of these resale programs, private schools like Parish and St. Mark’s partner with other companies to extend their uniform’s sustainability.  

“For uniform pieces that we can no longer use, we recycle those with Zoya Ministries that then sends them to developing communities around the world,” Mills said.  

Similarly, Scott Moore, associate director of communications at St. Mark’s said, “We upcycle used spirit wear through a company called Refried. They take the old items and turn them into new gear.”  

School uniform programs do much more than resell clothes. As Aaron Navarro, a Hockaday parent who works with the resale program, said, “Uniform resale helps defray the cost of attendance, while also raising funds for the school.” 

He added, “We are proud to be part of an effort to reuse clothing as an environmental project.”