SUST Swap Shop

A REASON TO SWAP NOT SHOP – IT'S FREE SUST SWAP SHOP, MANCHESTER AT 8TH DAY CAFE, THURSDAY DECEMBER 6TH 6PM-CLOTHES DROP-OFF, 6.30-8PM - SWAPPING! Following the success of the first Swap Shop, Action for Sustainable Living, Friends and the Earth and the 8th Day present the second SUST Swap Shop on 6th of December at 8th Day Café on Oxford Road in . The idea is simple: bring clothes that you no longer want and exchange them for other peoples' unwanted items. Over 50 fashion lovers as well as lovers of free, high quality clothes came along to the first event in October and swapped their old clothes for 'new'. Lead volunteer Hanna Backman says: "We all get bored of our clothes sometimes, or find that they no longer fit. We can stop the waste clothing by buying less, swapping with other people and recycling the rest. This is a fun and guilt-free way of shopping, and best of all it's free". The evaluation forms filled out after the first swap shop showed that swapping events are filling a gap in the shopping scene. One swapper said the best part of the event was the spirit of sharing and finding a free pair of jeans that fit. In the UK alone 900,000 tonnes of shoes and clothing go to landfill each year. By running a clothing exchange Action for Sustainable Living volunteers aim to provide a practical and fun way to reduce the amount of waste, and the need for shoppers to buy more new items. The SUST Swap Shop takes place 6-8pm starting with a drop-off, which gives the time for the organisers to sort the clothes and add a boutique feel to the event. Swappers should bring at least three items of clean clothes and pick up as many of everyone else's as they like for free. Any items left at the end will be donated to charity or recycled. This free event is open to anyone, though places will be limited.