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“Schenectady County currently generates more than 7,200 tons of fashion waste which accounts for 3.86% of the county's municipal solid waste,” McCauley said. Partnering with Schenectady County Recycles, she’s organizing two events aimed at addressing clothing insecurity and promoting sustainability in the community.

The first is called Drip Drop and it’s set for Saturday, June 15 at the Electric City Barn. Community members are invited to drop off their gently used clothes and McCauley will hold workshops on how to optimize or repair their wardrobes. Then, on Saturday, June 22, the Barn will host Pick-A-Fit, a community clothing pick-up where anyone can refresh their wardrobe.



“If we keep doing these [events] every couple of months . . .

I would love to see the numbers at the end of the year to see if we put a dent in that 7,200 tons,” McCauley said. She owns Styld n’ EMRGD, a business that initially focused on styling but in recent years has turned more toward wardrobe utilization and sustainable styling, helping people use what they have rather than constantly buying new pieces. “I feel more fulfilled than just doing styling,” McCauley said.

That change came out of the COVID pandemic when she began to think from a more environmental perspective. “It really made me look at what I can do to help the bigger picture and that's [when] it just became how can we manage this fashion waste?” McCauley said. Through hours of research, she discovered that thousand.

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