I have just come back from one of the best events I have had the pleasure to host.
Swapping our unwanted clothes is more than a quick fix for our wardrobes. This event has been a lesson in how to value our clothes, make them last longer and keep them from going to landfills for as long as possible. Why? because one truckload of our textile waste every second is polluting our beautiful earth.
A friendly social event, easy to arrange and no problem in getting people to sort out their wardrobes especially if they can fill them again with some new, if not brand new clothes.
Swap parties will not fix the problem of toxic waste entirely but they do help us to become more mindful when it comes to what we buy and why we buy so much.
I looked around at the number of clothes everyone had brought along to swap. There was a mountain of clothing and all unwanted by the former owners.
Before the swap began, Daadi Organics, who are behind the event and supplied all the shopping bags, made sure everyone was made aware that 85% of our clothes will be dumped on landfills stressing most of our clothes, especially those made with non-organic fibers, will take up to 200 years to biodegrade.
Everyone was asked to be mindful of the clothes they looked at. If they liked something and it did not fit, could they alter it or give it to somebody that may like it? The idea was to keep it from being thrown away.
We were told, ‘The problem is we buy too much and chuck away without realizing we are all adding to the problem.’
As the swap began and the rails where wheeled into the centre of the room, you could sense the energy.
I have never seen so many dopamine shots working in one room. This is retail therapy without costing our wallets. With a glass of cava in one hand and a tote bag to fill up in another, let the fun begin.
I picked up a lovely pink coat, a black bag, and a smoky grey floaty shirt which I will need to lose a few pounds for, so that has given me an added incentive.
Daadi Organics, will take all the leftover clothes and sort them out to select which can be made into new clothes or items. The rest will be kept for the next clothes swap. There is also talk that they can be sold online to go to a selected charity or cause.
Daadi Organics will be launched in early 2022 and are eager to hear from anyone who would either like to hold a swap party for their friends or are interested in helping to recycle items whether as a volunteer or as a business. you can make contact by leaving a comment at the bottom of this page.
Join the Daadi Facebook Group and learn more about what happens to our clothes.
If you enjoyed this article and would like to know more about the work we are doing, Please consider going to this link /www.buymeacoffee.com/Daadi
