Whether it’s to wow your friends with your latest charity shop finds or to simply encourage others to cut down on waste, Earth Day (22 April) is the perfect opportunity to don your finest pre-loved garments.
This year the British Heart Foundation (BHF) is calling on fashion lovers across the UK to swap their ‘bought new’ clothes for a day of showing off their second-hand treasures, amid growing awareness of the environmental damage of fast fashion.
Earth Day is an annual event that seeks to educate people of the importance of looking after the world we live in. In the past year public awareness about the environmental damage caused by the fashion industry has increased, with shoppers keen to find a more sustainable way to be fashion conscious while protecting the planet.
Charity shops provide the perfect solution for those looking to make a positive change to their shopping habits. Last year, the BHF saved over 70,000 tonnes of items from landfill, including 17,000 tonnes of pre-loved clothes.
Statistics from the Charity Retail Association show that charity shops are able to reuse or recycle more than 90% of donated clothing, and the average customer transaction amounts to a budget-friendly £4.05.
‘I’m a lifelong fan of second-hand shopping and love the thrill of not knowing what you might discover when you go into a store.
‘If lack of predictability puts you off charity shops, simply go shopping with a plan. Set out with a specific item, style or colour theme in mind and you’ll find it much easier to hunt down what you really need.
‘We have such a wealth of amazing clothing already made, there really isn’t any need to shop for new. Buying second-hand saves garments from landfill, so by choosing to wear clothing from The British Heart Foundation on World Earth Day, we can actively support life-saving research into heart disease as well as helping protect our planet.’
ALICE WILBY
Sustainable stylist
Charity shops are packed with everything from everything from hidden vintage gems to one-off pieces – all for a fraction of the ‘bought new’ price.
As well as cutting down on waste, by buying pre-loved shoppers can help the BHF fund vital research to improve the lives of the millions of people living with heart and circulatory disease in the UK.
Use the hashtag #BoughtatBHF to be featured on the British Heart Foundation’s online photo wall.
Click here to find out how – and why – to teach kids to wear their values.
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