Sustainable Clothes Swaps

Living Magazines Sustainable clothes swaps

Dacorum Borough Council is hosting three Sustainable Clothes Swaps over two days on 25 and 26 March at The Forum, Hemel Hempstead, so that people can exchange their unwanted items for something different – it’s like shopping, but free!

Clothes swapping is a great, easy way to update your wardrobe. It’s guilt-free shopping with no cost to you or the environment. Just take along your good quality items you no longer wear and exchange them for something new-to-you!

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.

In the UK, we buy more clothes than any other country in Europe. The trend of ‘fast fashion’ has resulted in more than half of items bought being thrown away before they are even a year old. Around £140 million worth of clothes goes in our general waste bins in the UK every year – that’s around 350,000 tonnes!

On average 30% of what’s in our wardrobes hasn’t been worn for over a year. Clothes Swaps are a great opportunity to get rid of all those clothes cluttering up your wardrobe whilst treating yourself to a fresh look.

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 token per item.

During the swap time exchange your tokens for items which are new-to-you.

Location: First Floor (Conference Rooms 1 & 2), The Forum, Marlowes, Hemel Hempstead, HP1 1DN

  • Friday 25 March: Drop off: 11.30am-12.30pm, Swap: 1-2pm
  • Friday 25 March: Drop off: 5.30-6.30pm, Swap: 7-8pm
  • Saturday 29 March: Drop off: 10-11am, Swap: 12-2pm

 Swap Rules

  • A maximum of ten items per person in adult sizes will be accepted.
  • Items accepted: good 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.

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

This event is for swapping good quality clothing only. Items that are not good quality can either be repaired recycled or some retailers have a ‘take back’ schemes.

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

For more information about recycling clothes, please visit www.dacorum.gov.uk/clothes and www.dacorum.gov.uk/recyclingcentres.