Freshen up Your Wardrobe at Clothes Swap Event

Living Magazines clothes swap

For the Great Big Green Week and Second Hand September Dacorum Borough Council is hosting a Sustainable Clothes Swap in partnership with local charity Open Door on 25 September 2022 in Berkhamsted Civic Centre.

Clothes swapping is a great, easy way to update residents’ wardrobes. It’s guilt-free shopping with no cost to the individual or the environment. Just bring along good quality items no longer worn and participants can exchange them for something new to them.

As well as the swap, experts from Open Door’s ‘Make & Mend’ workshops will be hosting a free sewing demo on the day to show residents some simple fixes to extend the life of clothes. Make & Mend was partly funded by Dacorum Borough Council’s Green Grant and offers a range of sewing courses and workshops. These courses aim to equip people with the skills to repair and alter clothes and even make their own, providing a more sustainable alternative to fast fashion purchases.

The fashion industry is responsible for 10 per cent of global carbon emissions. This means the clothes that we buy are contributing to climate change more than air and sea travel combined. Textile production is also the world’s second largest industrial polluter after oil.

Clothes Swaps are a great opportunity to get rid of all those clothes cluttering up homes whilst residents can treat themselves to a fresh look, without contributing to climate change.

Taking part is simple, during the drop off time bring along a maximum of ten unwanted, good quality clothes (adult sizes only) and earn one credit per item.

During the swap time residents can exchange credits for items which are new to them.

Where: Berkhamsted Civic Centre, 161 High Street, Berkhamsted, HP4 3HB.

When: Sunday 25 September

  • Drop off: 11am-12pm
  • Sewing Demo: 12.30-1pm
  • Swap: 1-2pm

Swap Rules

  • Maximum of ten items per person in adult sizes only
  • Items accepted: good quality clothes, shoes and bags
  • Items not accepted: bad quality items (dirty, ripped, torn, stained, broken zips, etc), jewellery, underwear, nightwear, swimwear or babies and children’s clothes
  • Bring your own reusable bags to take items home – carrier bags will not be provided

This event is for swapping good quality clothing only. Items that are not good quality can either be repaired, or alternatively, recycled at local neighbourhood textile recycling bank or some retailer take back schemes. Please visit www.dacorum.gov.uk/recyclingcentres for more information and locations of textile recycling banks.

Any items remaining by the end of the day will be donated to charity.

So remember, second-hand doesn’t mean second-best. Come along to the Berkhamsted clothes swap and enjoy swapping not shopping.

For more information, please visit www.dacorum.gov.uk/clothes.