Everyone has clothing and other items at home that aren’t getting the love and attention they deserve. Swap Events are a fun way for people to bring gently used clothing or small household items and swap them for ‘new’ items! Swap Events are also a great opportunity to have fun, get creative, meet your neighbours, and reduce waste.
Recycling Council of Ontario is developing the Swap It Toolkit, a downloadable, multi-language, and customizable package of resources that includes everything you need to organize a successful Swap Event for your community or building.
Giving clothing and textile products a second life through Swap Events means avoiding the impacts associated with the energy, land, and water used for making new items.
Hosting clothing swaps saves money, encourages people to engage with neighbours, and, most importantly, offers a sense of community and shared support amongst residents!
The Swap It Tool Kit will include:
- Step-by step instructions for organizers
- Customizable signs you can tailor for your building or community
- Tips and Facts about reducing textile waste
- Customizable letter to residents with Swap Event details
- Contact information for local charities that collect leftover materials
- Material in six languages (English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Mandarin, and Farsi)
