Support SecondhandFirst Week

Tomorrow marks the first day of #SECONDHANDFIRST Week, 17-23 November 2014.

The week aims to encourage people to commit to sourcing more clothing and other resources second hand. It is organized by TRAID, the charity doing tireless work to ensure sustainable and ethical practices in the clothing chain and it is hoped that this will become an annual event.

TRAID is launching #SECONDHANDFIRST Week, 17 – 23 November 2014, to encourage people to commit to sourcing more of our clothes and other resources second-hand, rather than buying new.

There are lots of ways for everyone to get involved including taking the #SECONDHANDFIRST Pledge to source more of your wardrobe second hand, keeping clothes and other resources in circulation for longer by lending, swapping, mending and donating, visiting your local charity shop, running your own clothes swap and lots more.

TRAID will run events in our 12 charity shops throughout the week celebrating all things second-hand including a Darn Good workshop with master mender Tom of Holland, providing free in-store styling appointments to help TRAID customers make the most of their second-hand purchases, a late night opening at TRAID Shepherd’s Bush, special window displays and lots more.

Plus our reuse, educational, ethical fashion and development partners will be running their own initiatives under the #Secondhandfirst flag during this special week.

Maria Chenoweth-Casey, CEO of TRAID said, “Second-hand has the power to create a more sustainable society. The garment industry makes huge demands on scarce and diminishing resources, like water, land and oil while unwanted and still wearable clothes are sent to landfill. #SECONDHANDFIRST Week reminds people to use what we already have as a way to reduce waste, landfill, carbon emissions and consumption bringing major benefits to our increasingly fragile environment.”

We are appealing to all our supporters to donate their unwanted clothes to TRAID and help us collect an extra seven tonnes of textiles for reuse during this special week. This includes encouraging our charity shop customers to donate their unwanted clothes, helping workplaces run their own collection schemes or, for the ultimate in eco-convenience, to book a free home collection from TRAID.

Full details of TRAID and partner events are available on our events page and will be regularly updated. Confirmed events highlights below:-

  • Tuesday 18 November, Book an appointment with Sustainable Fashion Stylist Marta Krolewicz, 10am – 2pm at TRAID Shepherd’s Bush
  • Wednesday 19 November, The Clothes Club Swap for Food Cycle and TRAID
  • Thursday 20 November, Late Night Shopping and Junky Styling Up-cyling Workshop at TRAID Shepherd’s Bush, 154 Uxbridge Road
  • Friday 21 November, Knitwear Repair Workshop with Tom Holland at TRAID Dalston
  • Friday 21 November, Book an appointment with Sustainable Fashion Stylist Marta Krolewicz, 10am – 2pm at TRAID Shepherd’s Bush

Source: http://www.traid.org.uk/