Program on the Environment

Imagine opening your favorite resale app and not only seeing what’s for sale, but also how much CO2, water, and waste you saved by buying secondhand instead of new. That kind of visibility could change how we shop entirely. The fashion industry is responsible for up to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions and produces millions of tons of textile waste each year. Yet even as consumers express environmental concerns, many fail to change their shopping habits. This disconnect is known as the green gap.

While secondhand resellers offer a powerful alternative from fast fashion, part of the problem is that sustainability often feels abstract, reduced to statistics that are difficult to connect to personal actions. My research explores how data visualization can make these impacts visible and relatable to both resellers and consumers. During my internship at InTheLoop Inc, a fashion tech startup supporting secondhand resellers, I helped work on the design of a client dashboard that visualizes real-time sustainability metrics such as CO2 saved, garments recirculated, and energy reduced. Using LCA data and API analytics, the dashboard translates complex environmental data into clear and engaging visuals for resellers.

I found that these tools do more than track data. They build trust, transparency, and motivation. When both resellers and consumers can see their tangible environmental impact, sustainability becomes more personal and actionable. By bridging data science, design, and environmental communication, my project shows how visualizations and dashboards can close the green gap and turn awareness into action.