Reduce, Reuse, Upcycle
Story by Caroline Gillen
Ohio University sophomore Baylee Wolfe’s Instagram business focuses on sustainable shopping.
The logo for Baylee Wolfe's self-made business, OU Upcycle, which was started in 2020.
Social media can give people a platform where they can materialize their ideas by creating and pursuing online business ventures. Baylee Wolfe, an Ohio University sophomore studying energy engineering and economics, formed her self-made business, OU Upcycle, with a focus on sustainable and ethical shopping, as well as a focus on bettering the planet.
In August 2020, Wolfe decided she wanted to be a part of something bigger than herself.
“I knew I wanted to contribute to my environment,” Wolfe says.“ This led me to be inspired by the multiple Instagram accounts that sell thrifted clothing and promote sustainable fashion. In order to become more connected with my classmates at Ohio University, I decided to make my account geared toward Bobcat apparel.”
Most of the pieces that Wolfe sells are thrifted locally. She encourages a cycle of repurchasing and reusing OU apparel and promoting an environmentally friendly Bobcat community. She posts items on her Instagram on first come, first served basis, and people interested in purchasing can direct message her to secure an item.
Wolfe’s Venmo account is listed in the OU Upcycle Instagram account biography along with the shipping fee and #ouupavailable, which is a hashtag buyers can visit to easily see which items are still up for grabs.
The first few items that Wolfe sold were clothing passed down from family members who are Bobcat alums. Occasionally, she also buys gear from graduating Bobcats to resell.
“That is one of my favorite [aspects] of owning my business, because I get to directly interact with people that have the same mission as me—reducing waste and making a difference,” says Wolfe. “After people Venmo me, I set up a time to meet them. I prefer to meet people on campus or outside my favorite coffee shop, Donkey Coffee, although I will ship to students that cannot be on campus. This past year I shipped approximately 30 packages students all over that could not be on campus due to Covid.”
Baylee Wolfe poses in one of her newly thrifted pieces available on her business Instagram. Wolfe started her business in efforts to promote locally thrifted pieces around Athens, Ohio.
One OU student, Hannah Beckman, a sophomore studying communication sciences and disorders, purchased from the business in August.
“I’ve been following OU Upcycle for some time now. It’s a great place to get cheap Bobcat gear,” Beckman says. “The items go pretty fast though, so you have to be ready to claim what you want. I got a T-shirt for only eight dollars which is like more than half the amount of what Bobcat T-shirts cost elsewhere.”
On OU Upcycles’ Instagram, Wolfe encourages people to try sustainable shopping. Sustainable shopping is defined by GreenDreamer.com as, “...clothing that is designed, manufactured, distributed, and used in ways that are environmentally friendly.”
Thrifting is one example of clothing being used in an environmentally friendly way because it can keep clothing from being discarded and can reduce the demand for new products. Just about anyone can start participating in sustainable shopping, whether they start shopping at thrift stores, check out online upcycling businesses such as OU Upcycle or adjust their shopping habits.
“Sustainable shopping starts small,” Wolfe says. “Most people skip straight into the mindset that you must buy secondhand in order to ship sustainably. Habits I have adopted [are] avoiding synthetic fibers and reusing old clothing, whether this consists of recycling an old shirt into a pillowcase, giving it to a friend or donating it, it is important to be aware of where your old clothes are going.”
This social media endeavor has allowed Wolfe to encourage sustainable and ethical shopping while also making a profit and connecting with other OU students. “It’s really important to keep in touch with your followers and provide timely feedback,” she says. “I have also had to face many responsibilities that get in the way of my own plans sometimes. In the end, just take a risk and start your own small business. The beginning is the scariest part, but I took a leap, and it has opened the door to many opportunities!”
Visit OU Upcycle on Instagram @ou.upcycle