The University of Vermont (UVM) is launching a new Reuse & Repair Hub, an initiative designed to help students develop practical repair and reuse skills while keeping clothing and other materials in circulation and out of the landfill.
The Reuse & Repair Hub is a collaboration between UVM’s Office of Sustainability (OS) and the Community Development and Applied Economics (CDAE) program. The initiative was developed by Corey Berman, UVM’s Zero Waste & Recycling Program Manager, and Kelly McDowell, CDAE faculty member, and received $6,500 in funding through UVM’s Sustainable Campus Fund (SCF).
The funding will support the purchase of supplies and equipment, including sewing machines, as well as hiring an instructor to provide UVM students with basic and intermediate sewing instruction.
The Hub’s first offering is a series of sewing workshops teaching students the skills that will enable them to repair and upcycle clothing rather than discarding them. The workshops are designed to practical and hands-on, giving students the opportunity to work directly with materials while developing skills they can use.
“We want to create opportunities for students to learn how to repair and care for the things they already own, while building a campus culture where reuse and repair are the norm, not the exception," said Berman. "Every time an item is repaired instead of being thrown away, it extends the life of that material and reduces waste.”
McDowell is the faculty advisor for UVM’s Loop Club / Ethical Fashion Collective, a student organization focused on sustainable fashion and Berman serves as advisor to ThriftUVM, a student initiative whose mission is to keep clothing in circulation through donation, collection and resale at pop-up thrift store events.
Together, these efforts connect skills building, sustainable fashion, reuse and waste reduction.
The Reuse & Repair Hub hopes to expand beyond sewing as opportunities and partnerships develop. Future programming could include a winter gear repair session, a sustainable fashion show featuring recycled and upcycled materials, and smaller repair cafés where participants can not only have items repaired but also learn the skills to make repairs themselves.
The initiative supports goals outlined in UVM’s Comprehensive Sustainability Plan, particularly efforts to minimize waste, increase reuse and repair, and divert materials from the landfill.
“The goal is to create a space where students can learn from one another, develop real skills and rethink our relationship with the clothes we buy and wear,” said McDowell.
The Reuse & Repair Hub is part of UVM’s broader efforts to move beyond simply managing waste toward reducing waste at its source and creating systems that keep materials in use for as long as possible.
For more information about the UVM Reuse & Repair Hub, contact: Corey Berman, Zero Waste & Recycling Program Manager.