Free the Planet holds eco-friendly fashion show

Nikki Luke spent the past three weeks threading a dress out of blue-plastic strips cut from… Nikki Luke spent the past three weeks threading a dress out of blue-plastic strips cut from Giant Eagle grocery bags.

The Free the Planet co-president strutted down the hardwood floor of Nordy’s Place Friday night in front of about 20 students who had gathered in the lounge for the club’s first eco-friendly fashion show as part of a three-hour event that focused on reducing, reusing and recycling.

Free the Planet’s other co-president, Eva Resnick-Day, said that the club tries to hold events at least once a semester to promote their initiatives.

“It’s embarrassingly fun,” she said about dressing up in used products.

About five other Free the Planet members followed Luke dressed in reused products, including a corset made out of reusable grocery bags, a dress made out of newspapers and necklaces made out of straw and seashells.

Food, live music and raffles accompanied the fashion show, which was held in support of RecycleMania — a multi-month recycling competition held amongst college campuses each spring.

Students flocked to banana muffins, jelly-doughnut cupcakes, goat-cheese-raspberry empanadas, pecan chocolate chip cookies and sweet potato chips prepared by the Free the Planet members over the course of the week.

Luke said all of the natural products that the students used for their baking were locally grown, and the leftover plates and utensils were all composted.

In addition to food and fashion, the night featured performances by two bands, Bailey Park and Sleepy V.

Resnick-Day and other club members raffled off mugs and necklaces along with a handmade “little piano” made out of an old tea can.

Luke described the importance of using and reusing what resources students have.

“We only have a certain amount of finite resources. You can reuse items by making clothes out of trash,” she said.

Free the Planet members believe recycling should be a last resort for students before throwing things away — the primary goals should be to reduce and reuse.

Chris Leiden, a junior environmental studies major, said that recycling is simply addressing a bigger problem.

“The earth has limited space and supplies. I think recycling is the minimum — we have to use things with less packaging … Recycling is just our best alternative,” Leiden said.