We get it — festivals like Spring Jam is the perfect excuse to pull out the trendiest looks and top everything off with absurd amounts of glitter. While I’m all for a cute festival look, things like fast fashion and glitter are actually quite harmful for the environment. To avoid any environmental damage (even if it seems minuscule) follow this simple guide.

Swap fast fashion for vintage

If you’re a little unsure of what “fast fashion” is defined as, you’re not alone. Good on You defines fast fashion as “cheap, trendy clothing, that samples ideas from the catwalk or celebrity culture and turns them into garments in high street stores at breakneck speed.”

Shockingly, only 1 percent of clothing is recycled into new garments, leaving the other 99 percent ending up in landfills. Moreover, brands are admitting to destroying unsold items; Burberry admitted to burning almost $40 million dollars’ worth of stock, causing an outrage amongst the fashion community.

It’s more than a mere fact that vintage is all the rage — more vintage and sustainable shops have been opening more than ever before. Although fast-fashion retailers Forever 21, H&M and Zara might have the outfit you’re looking for, chances are that vintage shops have the same pieces at better prices. Try to resist the urge to purchase a new outfit; instead, have fun restyling pieces of your wardrobe.

TL;DR: Fast fashion consists of cheap, trendy items produced at lightyear speed. It’s incredibly harmful to the environment — due to toxic dyes, burning of items and textile waste.

Look for eco-friendly glitter

Glitter. We all know and love it; from holiday cards to the newest glitter trend, it’s used in a wide array of products — especially during festival season. From glitter beards to glitter bums, it’s definitely a festival favorite. But this popular trend is actually a microplastic, and it’s harmful for oceans.

According to National Geographic, microplastic are tiny plastics (measuring less than 5 millimeters) littered throughout the oceans, and are consumed by plankton, fish and other marine life. There’s 500 times more microplastic particles in the ocean than stars in the sky, according to UN News.  

To combat glitter litter, search for biodegradable glitter, such as EcoStardust or Eco Glitter Fun. Even popular stores, such as Amazon, carries biodegradable glitter.

TL;DR: Glitter, a microplastic, is harmful for marine life. There’s currently more than 51 trillion microplastic particles in the oceans.

Please, don’t leave your footprint

Though Spring Jam isn’t an overnight festival, there’s still bound to be mounds of trash. Don’t leave your garbage behind, the University puts out trash/recycling bins, so make use of them! Also be sure to bring along reusable straws if you’re planning on ordering anything to drink. Plastic straws break down into microplastics, and they’re a huge part of our environmental crisis.

TL;DR: Pick up your trash.

Festivals such as Spring Jam can be a lot of fun, but also quite damaging to our environment. This Spring Jam (and festival season) remember to make sustainable choices so you can leave the festival guilt-free!