The aim is to reduce fashion waste by buying secondhand. And there are few places better to pick up a pre-loved bargain than a charity shop! In fact, around 339,000 tonnes of
textiles are kept out of landfill every year thanks to charity shops.
Reducing
Fast fashion is responsible for almost 10% of global carbon emissions. So buying your next pair of jeans from a charity shop rather than a highstreet store could prevent around 16.2kg of CO2
emissions and save a staggering 7,500 litres of water.
Our shops don’t only sell pre-worn fashion – we often receive donations of new clothing. For example, we’ve partnered with Moshulu, manufacturer of quality footwear, to find homes
for some of its boots, shoes and slippers. Kate James, Head of Marketing at Moshulu, explains, “The footwear we’re supplying to Hospiscare is almost unworn or in some cases entirely unworn! There are model samples that have been used on photoshoots, product samples that didn’t quite make it to our shelves and some seconds which have very minor faults.”
Reusing
As well as repurposing clothing, furniture and accessories, did you know that you can donate old candle stubs at seven of our shops and at our Exeter hospice? While we can’t sell them in
our shops, we can pass them onto The Recycled Candle Company, which reuses the wax to create new candles right here in Devon.
The partnership came about after one of our Light Up a Life Christmas memorial events, when we passed on the leftover candle stubs from our cathedral service.
Recycling
If donated items can’t be sold, we send them for recycling wherever possible. Last year, we recycled 223 tonnes of donations. Some items can’t be recycled though, and these can end up
costing us money to dispose of. So please only donate goods that can be sold in our shops. If you’re not sure whether something is saleable, please check the list on our website, alternatively, a member of staff will always be happy to check for you.
