Sustainability Pledge
Since our inception in 2017, Pass Down the Gown has been committed to putting sustainability and accessibility at the forefront of what we do. The clothing production industry contributes more carbon into the environment than all international flights and maritime shipping combined. We recognize the unsustainability of the fashion industry, and that is why Pass Down the Gown is committed to environmental stewardship. We are founded off of the idea that prom, and other formal events, should be made accessible and in a way that reduces as much waste as possible. Inherent in our mission is encouraging prom dresses to be worn more than once, reducing waste, but we also pledge to recognize our organization’s environmental, economic, and societal impacts and to consistently work to reduce our carbon emissions and waste.
So far, 99% of our dresses are donated, with the last 1% coming from replacements. Dresses on our site are used again and again, being cleaned after each use either with in-house cleaning or partnering with dry cleaning services. Our goal is to increase each dress's lifespan, from one use to many more. In 2022, we prioritized partnering with eco-driven companies, such as Spoils of Wear and Mulberries, both companies that practice eco-friendly procedures on their day-to-day. Additionally, we integrated more sustainable practices in our ordering practices, using reusable dress bags and recycled paper for receipts.
As we turn into 2023, we want to continue to improve our sustainability by focusing on increasing orders by 10%, increasing our events that promote sustainability, and refining our end-of-life dress distribution process.
We hope that more young women can find their perfect prom dress on our site, taking some stress off not only the planet but also their wallet. To increase our prom dress orders by 10%, we will be hosting pop ups events at schools in the Twin Cities area where students can browse and rent dresses in-person and continue to encourage and target dress donations that reflect current prom trends
We understand that prom is only one of many ways that the fashion industry is unsustainable. In addition to our dress renting service, we hope to organize events that educate our community on other fashion sustainability practices. Some ideas in the works are partnering with a local small business to host an upcycling class, organizing a clothing swap, and a clothing dye class!
Unfortunately, we are not able to save every dress that is donated due to tears,n, dress condition, or due to the dress being outdated. In the past, we have turned these dresses into face masks, donated them to artists, or donated them to thrift stores. We want to improve this process by partnering with organizations that can repurpose the dresses or give them to someone who could use them effectively.
So far, 99% of our dresses are donated, with the last 1% coming from replacements. Dresses on our site are used again and again, being cleaned after each use either with in-house cleaning or partnering with dry cleaning services. Our goal is to increase each dress's lifespan, from one use to many more. In 2022, we prioritized partnering with eco-driven companies, such as Spoils of Wear and Mulberries, both companies that practice eco-friendly procedures on their day-to-day. Additionally, we integrated more sustainable practices in our ordering practices, using reusable dress bags and recycled paper for receipts.
As we turn into 2023, we want to continue to improve our sustainability by focusing on increasing orders by 10%, increasing our events that promote sustainability, and refining our end-of-life dress distribution process.
We hope that more young women can find their perfect prom dress on our site, taking some stress off not only the planet but also their wallet. To increase our prom dress orders by 10%, we will be hosting pop ups events at schools in the Twin Cities area where students can browse and rent dresses in-person and continue to encourage and target dress donations that reflect current prom trends
We understand that prom is only one of many ways that the fashion industry is unsustainable. In addition to our dress renting service, we hope to organize events that educate our community on other fashion sustainability practices. Some ideas in the works are partnering with a local small business to host an upcycling class, organizing a clothing swap, and a clothing dye class!
Unfortunately, we are not able to save every dress that is donated due to tears,n, dress condition, or due to the dress being outdated. In the past, we have turned these dresses into face masks, donated them to artists, or donated them to thrift stores. We want to improve this process by partnering with organizations that can repurpose the dresses or give them to someone who could use them effectively.
