H&M: Waste is out of fashion
How to host a clothing swap
Clothing swaps help keep clothes in use and out of landfills. Check out our step-by-step guide to organize your own clothing swap party.
What we wear is how we visually communicate who we are to others, and it’s a common way to express ourselves and our creativity. But unfortunately, sustainability is not a standard practice in the fashion industry these days. The fashion industry is responsible for 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and it is the fastest growing waste stream in the US. That’s why we want to introduce more sustainable ways of shopping for clothes into our communities– and a clothes swap party is a fun, easy, and budget-friendly activity.
What is a clothing swap?
A clothing swap is where people gather and bring some of the clothes, shoes and accessories they no longer wear (but that are still in decent shape) and trade them with other people. That way, you can get new-to-you clothing without having to spend any money. You’re also able to get rid of clothing you don’t wear anymore in a way that doesn’t add to our landfills or overwhelmed secondhand stores. Instead, your pre-loved items can go home with someone else to get a second life– and you can leave with something new as well. This is especially great if you have friends and family with similar taste in clothing.
Why organize a clothing swap?
We are producing more clothes than we can wear — around 150 billion new items every year — and a lot of that ends up as waste. Around the world, the equivalent of one dump truck filled with clothing is sent to a landfill or incinerator every second.
We’ve normalized a culture of constantly buying new clothes without thinking twice about its impact on people or the planet. Fast fashion – a business model where brands constantly churn out cheap, low quality clothing to fit the latest microtrend – has certainly fueled this overproduction and overconsumption problem. And it’s working. We’re buying more clothes than ever before, and yet people do not wear at least 50% of the clothes they own.
What’s the problem with fast fashion?
All of this leads to a big problem for our environment as we use up natural resources to make more disposable clothing and add to our growing waste problem.
Recently, clothing swaps have been growing in popularity alongside thrifting and secondhand shopping. Clothing swaps are fun events that allow people to give their pre-loved clothes a second life, get new clothing for free, and protect the planet.
Here’s a quick guide on how to organize your own clothing swap to keep clothes in circularity and reduce textile waste.
Step-by-step guide to hosting a clothing swap
1. Decide who you want to attend
The first step is picking your target audience – this could be as broad as your local community, or it could be a smaller group of friends and family. Deciding this will also help you estimate the number of people that will attend.
2. Pick the location
- When choosing a location, it’s important to make sure that there is enough space for the clothes and the guests. The location should be able to fit some tables or clothing racks. It’s also good to have a designated area for people to try clothes on, like a bathroom or a private space partitioned off.
- You can ask your local coffee shop, library or community/rec center to use their space for your event. If you’re hosting a clothing swap with your friends and family, you could also host it at your house or a friend’s place. All you need is a spacious room!
3. Choose a theme
- It’s helpful to narrow down a “theme” for your swap so guests have guidelines on the type of clothing that will be exchanged. An easy theme is a seasonal clothing swap– either for the current season (ie. Spring) or an upcoming season (ie. Summer) so that people can find clothes that they’ll be able to wear right away.
- A theme can be based on the type of clothing.
- Examples: kids clothing, maternity clothing, work attire, winter clothing, etc.
- You could also choose a theme in relation to a specific event or holiday.
- Examples: Holiday party wear, Halloween costumes, Galentines Day, wedding attendee dresses, etc.
4. Organize the details
- Pick a date and time.
- Will it be on a weekday evening so people can come after work, or on a weekend? Be mindful to select a date and time that will likely work best for your target audience.
- Example: For college students who have classes at various times each weekday, a weekend may be best.
- Will it be on a weekday evening so people can come after work, or on a weekend? Be mindful to select a date and time that will likely work best for your target audience.
- Set up a schedule for the day.
- Make sure to set aside about 30 minutes – 1 hour before and after for setup and cleanup.
- Decide whether your clothing swap will have a cost for entry, be donation based, or free? This just depends on your budget. You can also accept donations that will go to a nonprofit like PIRG or a local charity.
5. Clarify the rules
- It can be helpful to set limits to the amount of items people can donate and take back, so that everyone leaves feeling like they got a fair shot at the items. I suggest limiting the number of items people can bring between 2-10 (or 1-3 for a smaller swap). It’s important that everyone brings something in order for the event to be successful!
- Having an item limit can also help people to be more mindful in what they’re choosing and avoid taking items they don’t actually want or need because they’re “free.”
- Some events will use a token or ticket system for the first 30 minutes – 1 hour. During this time, people are only allowed to collect a few items (ie. 1-5) to ensure that everyone is able to browse.
- Quality over quantity is key. Set expectations for people to bring gently loved items that are clean — nothing damaged or stained.
- Have people stick to the theme. If you’re asking to exchange seasonal clothes, list some examples of what is accepted. You can stick to the basics or broaden your list to include things like accessories and shoes.
6. Gather the supplies
What else will be at your clothing swap?
- Will there be snacks or refreshments? Plan out what you need and how much based off of your RSVPs.
What will the layout be?
- Will the clothes be folded on tables or hung on clothing racks? You could ask attendees to bring their clothing on hangers, which makes the “shopping” an easier and more enjoyable experience!
Will there be a private changing area?
- Setting up a private area with a full length mirror can make people more comfortable trying on clothes before deciding to leave with them. If you don’t have a full length mirror, you can ask a friend, look on your local “Buy Nothing” group, or check your local thrift store for a cheap option.
- If your space doesn’t have a private bathroom, you can use partitions to section off a small part of the room.
7. Recruit volunteers
- When it comes to organizing the event, my mindset is the more the merrier! It’s much easier and more enjoyable to organize a clothing swap when you have others helping you along the way.
- Volunteer opportunities:
- Help organize the details leading up to the event
- Send out invitations to their own friends/family/community groups
- Bring snacks, drinks, or supplies (hangers, clothing racks, folding tables)
- Setup before the event
- Help at the event by organizing & folding the clothes, getting people nametags, organizing the token system, etc.
- Cleanup after the swap and help take leftover clothing to donation site
8. Send the invitations & market your event
Now it’s time to invite your community.
- I suggest sending the first invite 2-4 weeks before and then sending reminders a few days before and the day of the event.
- Send a text, email, or DM to friends and family.
- Post on social media – you can use canva to easily make a great graphic.
- Hang up flyers in your community (library, coffee shops, etc). If you’re hosting the event at a community establishment, ask them to help you advertise the event by hanging up a flyer or posting on their website.
- Make sure all of the important details are in your invitation: date, time, location, clothing swap theme!
Collect RSVPs.
- This will help you keep track of:
- How small or large your event will be, how many materials (like hangers) you will need, and who to follow up with closer to the event.
- An easy way to do this is to set up a digital invitation like Eventbrite that will automatically collect RSVPs for you.
9. Make a plan for leftover donations
- Do you want people to bring back home any of their items that weren’t chosen?
- Is there a local shelter or community center where you could donate the clothes leftover from your clothing swap?
- You could reach out to local upcyclers or menders who may be able to recycle the fabrics.
- Or, you can hold on to the leftover clothing for your next swap!
Quick Tips:
- Use nametags
- If this is a public clothing swap, nametags can help people feel more comfortable and break the ice
- Ask people to give their clothes a wash before bringing them to the swap
More ways to take action
Taking action in your own life by buying less clothing, supporting secondhand, and participating in community events like clothing swaps are great ways to change your habits and reduce your environmental impact. But we also need the larger companies to take action too.
Given the impact that overproduction of clothing and other textiles has on the planet and human health, we should no longer allow it to happen. In particular, manufacturers and retailers should stop trashing or burning their unsold, unworn clothing just to make space for new product. Instead, when there is overstock, brand-new unsold clothing should be kept on shelves for longer, sold to outlet stores, second-hand stores or thrift shops, donated, repurposed and reused in other products, or recycled into new garments.
As consumers, we can use our power to call on these companies to change, while also reducing our own environmental impact.
Add your name to our petition to H&M.
H&M: Waste is out of fashion
Tell H&M to publicly commit to not trash or burn their unsold clothing in the US.
What does H&M do with their unsold clothes?
Topics
Authors
Kathryn Horvath
Zero Waste Campaign Associate, WashPIRG
As the Zero Waste Campaign Associate with WashPIRG, Kathryn is working on our Waste is Out of Fashion campaign. Kathryn lives near her family in Seattle where she enjoys exploring the beautiful Pacific Northwest through skiing, kayaking and practicing her photography.
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