Activity

Thrift, Think, Escape: An escape room activity to learn about Eco Fashion

Here is a interesting and fun escape room activity to conduct in your thrift club at schools and in communities. This activity covers the Fast fashion office, the Factory floor and the Sustainable Design Studio where you do different activities in the process to make your brand more sustainable.

Materials required

3 Tables

Chart paper

Glue

Printables provided at the end of this article - print this on A4 size paper and cut out as needed

Theme & Storyline

The players are trapped inside a fictional fashion company, “Fast Fash Co.,” known for its unethical practices. They need to find clues and solve puzzles to escape and transform the company into an eco-friendly brand before time runs out.

Table 1: Fast Fashion Office -The budget dilemma

Objective: Identify areas of increased or decreased investment on your journey to become sustainable.

To-do: There will be cards placed on the table which will list areas where a company will have to increase investment to become eco friendly and other areas where they have to decrease investment to be eco friendly. Teams will be given arrow cards showing increase or decrease. They have to identify all areas of increase or decrease correctly by placing arrows on the cards to unlock their next clue which will tell them which table they have to go to next.

Areas of increased investment

• Procuring organic cotton, recycled fabrics, Tencel, or bamboo

• Negotiations for fair wages

• Safe working conditions

• Partnerships with fair-trade suppliers

• R&D in Zero-waste pattern making

• Waterless dyeing techniques

• Biodegradable packaging

• Supply chain audits

• Sustainable certifications

• Carbon offset programs

• Take-back programs or product repair services

• Blockchain technology

Areas of decreased investment

• Opening sweatshops

• Mass production

• Billboards or TV ads

• Plastic packaging materials

• Office space in New York city

• Corporate travel for employees

• R&D in Rayon and polyester fabrics

Once they have identified everything correctly, they will be given a clue as to which table to go next.

Table 2: The Toxic Factory

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Objective: Identify harmful chemicals used in fast fashion and replace them with eco-friendly alternatives.

To-do: There will be cards about harmful chemicals and their effects placed on the table. Students will be provided the same number of cards which contain eco-friendly alternatives. They need to replace/match the harmful chemical with its correct alternative after reading about its description. If they match all of them correctly, they will be given the go ahead to move to the next table. 

Example: 
Harmful chemicals - Formaldehyde 

Use: Often used in fabric finishes to make clothes wrinkle-resistant and to prevent mildew.

Harm: It's a known carcinogen and can cause skin irritation and respiratory issues.

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Eco-friendly alternative: 

Plant-Based Finishes from soy or corn 

Offer wrinkle resistance and fabric protection 

More such chemicals and their alternatives are provided in the printables section below for your use.
 

Table 3: Sustainable Design Studio

Objective: Identify the locations around the world where the eco friendly raw materials can be sourced from.

To-do: Cards with details on eco friendly materials are placed on the table. Teams are provided cards with names of countries. They need to match the eco-friendly material with the location where they are available.

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Examples are below and more such can be found in the printables section below/

1. Organic Cotton

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• Description: Cotton grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, promoting healthier ecosystems and safer farming practices.

• Clue: This country is famous for its spices, Bollywood, and is the largest producer of organic cotton globally.

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Answer:  India

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2. Hemp

• Description: A highly durable, fast-growing plant that requires minimal water and no pesticides, making it an eco-friendly textile option.

• Clue: Known as the world's second most populous country, it's also a leader in industrial hemp production.

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Answer: China

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Printables:

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Full escape room activity explained - click to download PDF

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Printable sheets to be printed in A4 paper to conduct the activity - click to download printables 

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