A local community recycling initiative has entered a new phase, having established a permanent premises at Reg’s Garden in St Brelade.
Following the announcement earlier this month that founder Kalina Le Marquand would begin stepping down in 2026, the initiative will now focus on recycling clothing in a bricks and mortar shop.
Rag Trade already occupies a space in the garden, but is now moving into a larger area to accommodate this new iteration.
Islanders are invited to drop off clothes to the St Brelade location, as well as take whatever they need.
“A lot of the time the doors are just open and there’s no one there,” Kalina told Express. “It’s a new concept, having a free shop.
“There is so much waste in Jersey and all we are trying to do is keep things from the waste stream. So if you need 20 tops, 50 pairs of trousers come and take them. There’s no limit on what you can take.”
The Rag Trade launched in 2023 to reduce waste produced by the fashion industry in Jersey, which is the second most polluting global industry, and offer free items to people struggling with the cost of buying new.
The events encouraged islanders to donate unwanted items to be taken home by someone else for free. This included clothes, shoes, household items, plants, plant pots, food and toiletries.
Since then, the Rag Trade events have saved over 1,000 tons of items from landfill or incineration.