Musical clothes swap event aims to keep items from landfill

Tuesday 12 July 2022

A local fashion student has organised a music-filled clothes swap event next week to encourage islanders to give new life to preloved items and keep them out of landfill.

Taking place at St. Lawrence-based cooperative Scoop on Saturday 16 July, the swap was the brainchild of Stephanie Jones, who is about to start her final year of university studying Fashion Communications.

Having studied consumer habits, value shifts and intergenerational overlaps within the fashion industry, she became interested in making sustainable fashion options assessable to everyone.

Any items of men's, women's and children's (2+) clothing in good condition will be accepted at the swap, which is taking place between 12:00 and 18:00.

The stock will be refreshed throughout the day, with the Scoop team quality-checking each one before they are made available to swap.

Pictured: The event will be taking place at Scoop.

Throughout the day, there will be live music and lunchtime refreshments provided by SCOOP.

Any clothes left over will be saved for another swap on the 13 August. Anything left over after that will be donated to local charity shops.

Explaining why initiatives like clothes swaps are so important, the Scoop team said: "The Fashion and textile industry accounts for up to 10% of the worlds carbon emissions, not to mention water shortages, habitat pollution and unethical working conditions.

"Every second the equivalent of a rubbish truck load of clothes is burnt or buried in landfill, reminding us that textile waste is a major factor to consider in our move to a more circular way of living.

"Rethinking the way we produce and consume fashion is vital, but it doesn't have to mean the end of style and self-expression. With resale stores becoming increasingly popular online, we can see how easily this can be implemented into our lives."

Pictured: The event aims to stop clothes going to landfill.

They added: "Clothes swaps aim to bring people together to enjoy and share their experiences with their clothes, giving items a new life without the risk factor involved in shopping online.

"A Clothes Swap is a chance to experiment with your style!"