72% of college students will buy fast fashion by 2022. ThredUP can change their dirty ways.

Gen Z is obsessed with fast fashion, and ThredUP wants to do something about it. Enlisting the help of “Stranger Things” star Priya Ferguson of the popular Gen Z rider, the thrifty giant has launched a testament aimed at breaking GenZ’s wasteful habits.

A vehicle to break the addiction: a hotline that allows students to empty fast fashion carts and choose frugality instead. The disruptive behavior, according to Erin Wallace, ThredUP vice president of integrated marketing, was revealed by the ecommerce site’s first Gen-Z Fast Fashion Report in partnership with GlobalData.

But he’s interrupted by General Z and his crew’s desire to save the planet. “They’re obsessed with single-use fast fashion,” Wallace says, using the language of addiction. “Viral terms like #Rushtok and #OOTDs are flooding the internet with new styles every day, and half of college students say it’s hard to resist the temptation of fast fashion. In fact, “one in three depressed Glen Xers feel they are addicted,” the report states.

“Gen Z has shown the world that they care about the planet more than any other generation, yet they are inundated with shopping choices, making it easier than ever to use them,” said Neil Sanders, managing director of GlobalData Retail. “This presents a unique challenge for Gen Z. With one in three Gen Z consumers feeling addicted to fast fashion, our data highlights the dichotomy young consumers face today and present second-hand as an affordable fashion option for generations to come,” he said.

ThredUP and Priah’s Fast Fashion Confessional Hotline As youngsters prepare to shop for school, now is the time to rise to the challenge, the report says. “The ThredUP Gen Z survey found that 71% of college students plan to buy new clothes this back-to-school season. Additionally, more than two in five college students say they buy clothes for events that they might only wear once.

“Young consumers are also looking for value more than ever this season, with nearly two-thirds of college students looking for more affordable clothing options when shopping now compared to previous years,” the report said.

Shoppers can now easily swap their fast fashion buys with loyalists by shopping Priah’s back-to-school look at thredUP.com/hotline. Priya selects her favorite items on ThredUP, and savers can buy similar styles at up to 90% off retail, the used giant said. “From classroom wear and practice to school dance and formal, Priah’s ThredUP styles suit all events from school to school. They also offer all the fun and value of fast fashion without the waste.

“Our reporting on fast fashion and Gen Z was the inspiration for the direct line,” Wallace said. “We were seeing this dichotomy of the fast fashion brand. Gen Z’s analysis emphasized that value and savings were the most popular. It confirmed the information we have been seeing that their love of fast fashion is at odds with their sustainable outlook.

“Shin’s speed is unmatched,” she continued. “It seems at the expense of Shane and the addition of formal education to college is more serious than we thought.”

The phone line went dead on August 16. People who call the hotline find it a quick fashion confession. “Call Priya Ferguson and she’ll inspire you to thrive instead,” said Wallace, who says Ferguson helps Gen Zers unburden themselves and confess their fashion secrets or fashion sins.

“It’s a shame to make a fast fashion purchase,” says Wallace. “This is a fun way to educate people. It’s too soon to see results. We want to open a hotline for back-to-school marketing and marketing. We’re putting ourselves in the conversation.”

“We haven’t consulted any experts to determine if this is a psychological trend,” Wallace added. “In terms of getting the message across, it was very important to work with someone who knows Gen Z and not be preachy. Priya buys fast fashion and realizes that the quality is not good.

Confessors listen to Ferguson’s confession and leave theirs as they voice their voices. “It depends on how we treat the content,” Wallace said, referring to Gen Z’s Mea Culpas. “We’ve been working on this single-use Gen Z audience that speaks to them and teaches them how to stop fast fashion in a fun way.”

According to the Gen Z report, 60% of fast fashion items are produced and exported in the same year. “One of the best ways to reduce this waste and give fashion a sustainable future is to reuse clothes and keep them out of landfills,” Wallace said.

According to thredUP’s Fast Fashion Confessional report, the average Gen Z shopper plans to buy 12 new outfits this back-to-school season. If each Gen Z swapped those 12 new items for stock people, nearly 10 billion pounds of CO2e would be saved. This is equivalent to planting 116M trees.