Inaugural Swap - Don’t Shop Saves 65kgs From Landfill

On Saturday 18 November 2023 at the Armadale District Hall, the community stepped up to fight textile waste at the City’s very first Swap - Don't Shop Fashion Gala. The free event was designed to inspire the community to sustainably refresh their wardrobes and combat textile waste that would normally end up in landfill. Shockingly Australians buy 15kg of clothing every year, disposing of 10kg per person nationally. This equates to 200,00 tonnes of clothing ending up in Australia’s landfill each year, with only 2% being recycled.

In the weeks leading up to the event, the community donated pre-loved women’s fashion and received shopping tokens, which were redeemable for pre-loved fashion at the event. Almost 100 women of all ages, shapes and sizes embraced a guilt-free shopping experience that not only spared their wallets but also breathed new life into pre-loved items.

Approximately 400 clothing items were donated ranging from sizes 6-20+ including shoes, handbags, and scarves. Majority of these items found new wardrobes with only 60 items remaining post-event. These remaining items were generously donated to Perth Community Clothing Recycling Wholesaler, a local small business specialising in reprocessing clothing, shoes, handbags and textiles. The reprocessed items are sent to WA op shops or shipped to Africa and India, where they serve as seed capital to start small businesses.

The Swap - Don’t Shop Fashion Gala event saw 65kg of clothing making their way into new wardrobes. This saved 65kg of textile waste entering the City’s landfill and approximately 1.625 tonnes of CO2 avoided.

City of Armadale Mayor Ruth Butterfield said, “I’m proud of our community for doing their part to combat textile waste. This initiative aligns seamlessly with the City’s commitment to sustainability and community engagement. I urge everyone to continue to make environmentally conscious choices, by sending preloved clothing to charity shops, instead of putting quality items in the rubbish bin.”