Our Story
In 2050, the population of the earth will reach 10 billion - earth’s maximum capacity according to many science institutions and organizations. But the bigger issue is the scale of human consumption.
We have consumed 80% of natural resources, killed 90% of wild animals, 50% of plants, and 90% of fish. Only 60 years of farming are left if soil degradation continues. We can only use 1% of water in this world since 2% is snow and ice and 97% is salt water. 70% of that 1% goes to crops. By 2050, we need to decide how we will use our water when the population hits 10 billion and there is a 60% increase in the demand for food. This planet is getting warmer and warmer every year and we are at the edge of our safe zone.
In the US, each citizen disposes 70 pounds of textile waste each year in an already filled landfill. Only 20% of your donations to goodwill will be reused and the other 80% ends up in a landfill or recycled. This causes charities to spend a huge amount of money to dispose of those textiles. The fashion industry is the 2nd largest cause of pollution and they will make up 25% of carbon footprints in 2050 if we don’t make any changes. To make one cotton T-shirt, it takes 2 and a half years worth of drinking water and to make one pair of jeans, it takes 10 years of drinking water. We can’t even produce cheap clothing without modern day slavery ethical issues come up.
We, Giftsy, are an online community marketplace that connects two people together so they can exchange and gift pre-loved clothing . It is like bringing the “Barter” system back with a modern, technological twist. If a person doesn't want to trade then they can choose to give away items for free to those who want it which builds awareness towards sharing and helping others. The person who wants the items then simply writes a reason about why she wants them and the giver will choose the reason that touches her heart.
We consumers only have one path, to consume and dispose. This powerless situation creates this pattern of buying cheap clothes and throwing it away without being concerned about environmental consequences. By creating a free aftermarket, we can give power back to consumers and help them reutilize what they have at home. This will help consumers be aware, rethink before they purchase items, and after they purchase them, they will take care of clothes the same gentle way we take care of our car or house. This will expand the lifespan of items, reduce waste, pollution, and the exploitation of earth.
The main problem that we are working to solve are global challenges. We want to help people reconnect with others, their community, and the world.
We live in a world where we think that we are independent from each other, but the truth is we heavily depend on air, sun, water, and each other. We crave for a deeper connection and understanding with each other but we’ve forgotten how to build deeper connections and we are afraid of opening up our hearts. We numb ourselves with material goods and create fake personas to hide who we truly are. We’ve lost our freedom of true expression and participating in excessive consumerism helps us hide our feelings of interpersonal loneliness caused by that disconnection with each other.
We want to create a community where people can practice and initiate kindness, and relearn about kindness, humanity, and happiness by sharing and giving. When you give, it rewards your brain to make you feel the same way as when you first saw your child. It will make you feel fulfilled and happy.
I am inviting you to work together to protect and help our home planet earth by slowing down consumption so we can buy time for technology or the world to catch up so we can solve bigger challenges in the future. We need to unite and also to co-create this new world with us. -where we can be children again- exploring, making new friends, sharing laughter and supporting each other with deeper connections, love, and care without limitations.