People called me waste.
A loose thread hanging from a discarded piece of clothing in London.
Too small to matter.
Too damaged to repair.
Too easy to throw away.
Ryusei had heard that word before.
Not for clothes.
For people.
Through his studies in sociology, he had become aware of how easily society decides that some young people, cultures and communities have no value left to offer.
He had watched street culture become “a problem” before it became culture.
He had watched people become labels before they became stories.
So when he arrived in London, he asked a different question:
What if waste is simply something whose future we have stopped imagining?
The truth is that his journey here was not sustainable.
It began with an economy-class flight from Tokyo to Dubai and then to London.
By the time he reached Stansted, more than a tonne of carbon had already entered the atmosphere because of his journey.
He did not erase that.
He never pretended he could.
Instead, he made a promise:
If one journey across the world creates emissions, then it should also create value that continues long after the journey ends.
So he chose to stay for an academic year rather than make repeated journeys.
He chose to live in International Hall, close enough to SOAS to make walking part of everyday life.
He chose public transport over cars and domestic flights.
He chose to repair, reuse and borrow before buying new.
And most importantly, he chose to create.
In London, discarded clothes will become costumes and garments inspired by street culture.
Through photography, fashion and storytelling, they will continue travelling through new hands, new places and new conversations.
Some people will see fashion.
Some will see sustainability.
Some will see art.
And slowly, fewer people will see waste.
This is SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.
This is SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production.
This is SDG 13: Climate Action.
And perhaps most importantly, this is SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals.
Because sustainability is not only about reducing movement.
Sometimes it is about making sure that what moves continues to move.
Ideas.
Materials.
Cultures.
Opportunities.
Stories.
I am still only a thread.
But threads have always done the same thing.
They connect what other people believed should remain separate.
And if enough people begin to see value where they once saw waste,
perhaps the thread will never end.
Resources
TfL Go – Transport for London Journey Planner
Sustainable travel planning across London using walking, cycling, buses, Underground and rail.
https://tfl.gov.uk/maps_/tfl-go
Too Good To Go
Mobile application for reducing food waste by purchasing surplus food from local businesses.
https://www.toogoodtogo.com/en-gb
Love Not Landfill
London-based initiative promoting circular fashion through second-hand clothing, repair and reuse.
Refill
Network of refill stations helping reduce single-use plastic consumption.
https://www.refill.org.uk/
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Official framework for global sustainable development goals and targets.
https://sdgs.un.org/goals
