Background Did you know it takes over 766 gallons of water just to make a single T-shirt? And that cute outfit you bought last week? It might take longer to decompose than your entire lifespan. From excessive water waste to high energy consumption, fast fashion has a devastating impact on the environment. The fashion industry is a leading contributor to global carbon emissions, making it essential for consumers to become more mindful of their clothing choices.
Serve to Conserve aims to help users make eco-friendly fashion decisions, reduce waste, and live sustainably without sacrificing style.
Purpose The app encourages users to rethink how often they shop, how they use their wardrobe, and how they dispose of clothing. We help our users avoid the unsustainable practices of overconsumption by notifying them to donate their infrequently worn items, providing a network to trade their second-hand clothes, and reminding them when they're about to buy something too similar to what they already own. Through features like virtual outfit planning, clothing donations, and trades, the app simplifies making more sustainable choices while rewarding users for their eco-friendly actions.
Process First, users upload photos of their clothing, which are turned into their respective 3D models by sampling the clothing's colours and shapes. By comparing to similar items we’ve researched, we can estimate the carbon it took to produce the piece.
For example, if a user scans a hoodie, they will be informed that it took 6.1 kg of CO2 to make—a reminder of the impact of their purchases. The item is then added to their virtual wardrobe, organized by clothing type, and users can even use a search feature to find specific items. Don’t know what to wear? The outfit generator takes it a step further, helping users create stylish outfits using their existing clothing.
Additionally, the app rewards users for sustainable actions. Logging outfits, donating items, and participating in trades earn in-app “leaves”. These rewards help reinforce positive habits and motivate users to stay engaged with their sustainability goals.
Finally, when you’re ready to part with a piece of clothing you haven’t worn in so long. The app will remind you to stay sustainable and direct you to local donation centres through a Google Maps Embed.
Potential Serve to Conserve has enormous potential to not only shift how users engage with their clothing but also contribute to a larger movement toward sustainable fashion. Nobody wants to be unsustainable, but it slips the minds of many. The small pushes and reminders through our app are the last missing piece to reducing customer reliance on fast fashion and unsustainable fashion choices.
As the app grows, there are opportunities for further partnerships with sustainable brands or global organizations working to combat fast fashion. The app's ability to integrate with social features like the friends' leaderboard and trading page could create a community of users supporting each other’s sustainable goals, all while continuing to build an enjoyable experience.
Like sustainable practices as a whole, Serve to Conserve is most effective when everyone’s using it. We believe that a viral popularization of Serve to Conserve could mean a lot for awareness of sustainable practices within fashion.