Social enterprise sets up shop selling reusable school uniforms in sustainability drive
A social enterprise has set up a store in Glasgow’s St. Enoch Centre that sells used school uniforms.
ApparelXchange’s shop offers a range of uniform items for primary aged children together with jackets and sportswear.
Set up to tackle the problem of children growing out of school clothes very quickly and the almost constant need to replace them, the initiative looks to sell used garments on to new homes at a low cost.
Since launching in March 2018, ApparelXchange has reused 65% of the 10,000 items it received in donations, while a further 35% not in a condition to sell on have been recycled.
ApparelXchange said this equates to a saving of over 23.9 eqCO2t of carbon emissions through reuse and recycling.
Izzie Eriksen, founding director of ApparelXchange, said: “School uniforms have a huge impact on the environment causing the same pollution as fast fashion, with children quickly growing out of their clothes before being scrapped.
“Through our new store within St. Enoch Centre, we’re hoping to encourage families around Glasgow to opt for sustainability when getting ready for back to school and will be providing repair sessions for all ages once we get settled in.”
Once donated, the clothes are sorted and washed to ensure they meet quality expectations. Both pre-worn and new garments are available at the store.
Anne Ledgerwood, general manager of St. Enoch Centre, added: “As we work with our retailers to promote circularity and sustainability, we’ve been able to launch some great initiatives throughout the centre. ApparelXchange is the latest step towards a circular model, reducing waste levels to ensure that we focus on reuse.”
The ApparelXchange store is situated on level one of the centre opposite Debenhams.
