Waste Warrior : Gloucestershire Recycles Launches ‘wear Not Waste’ Campaign to Combat Textile Waste

George George Idowu

In an effort to reduce textile waste and encourage sustainable fashion choices, Gloucestershire Recycles has introduced a new campaign called Wear Not Waste.

Gloucestershire is a ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west.

The initiative, launched by a partnership between Gloucestershire County Council and the county’s six district councils, promotes reusing clothes as a way to mitigate the environmental impact of textile waste.

A key feature of the campaign is the provision of free clothes swap kits to residents, making it easy for people to organize pop-up events where they can exchange pre-loved clothing.

The kit includes rails, hangers, signs, and mirrors, offering a practical solution to help people set up their own clothes and swap events in their communities.

Councillor David Grey emphasized the benefits of the scheme, saying, “This is a great way to save money and tackle climate change.” By swapping clothes, residents can reduce the demand for fast fashion and help decrease the amount of waste generated by discarded clothing.

The Wear Not Waste campaign comes at a time when the popularity of second-hand clothing is on the rise.

A study by online thrift store Thred Up predicts that sales of pre-loved clothing will surpass those of fast fashion by 2030. This trend highlights a growing shift towards more sustainable consumer habits.

In addition to the clothes swap kits, which are available for collection in Gloucester, the campaign offers an educational information pack for teachers. The aim is to help young people understand the environmental impacts of fast fashion and the importance of clothing reuse.

To further encourage participation, Wear Not Waste is running a competition offering two £50 charity shop gift cards.

Councillor Grey expressed his hope that many people in the county would take part, saying, “It’s great that we’re supporting our communities to proactively swap clothing rather than going straight to buying new. I hope as many people as possible take part.”

With initiatives like this, Gloucestershire Recycles is leading the way in promoting sustainable fashion choices and reducing textile waste in the community.