Report calls for uniform swap shops in all Welsh schools
Published: 23 Nov 2022
Sustainable Clothing and Textiles Cymru (SCTC), a group of Wales-based businesses and organisations, launched their new report today (Thursday 24 November) at a uniform exchange event at Cynffig Comprehensive School in Bridgend.
The report, entitled Fashioning Wales’s Future – our path to sustainable fashion and textiles is calling for every school in Wales to provide a school uniform and sports kit swap shop to make school uniforms more affordable, lessen the stigma around second-hand clothing, and empower people to make sustainable decisions.
Tell Welsh Government you want them to introduce a Wales-wide school uniform and sports kit swap shop scheme
Corrie Edwards, teacher, at Cynffig Comprehensive School, said:
“We are proud of our school uniform swap shop, which has been running since 2019, thanks to our eco-committee who helped to set up. It is popular with our parents and carers, who appreciate being able to get good quality second-hand uniforms free and easily. As well as saving money, it is also helping to remove the stigma around second-hand clothing.”
Bleddyn Lake, Campaigns and Development Manager for Friends of the Earth Cymru, a member of SCTC, said:
“Given the cost-of-living crisis and the climate emergency, we must explore what we can do in Wales to ensure fashion is more affordable to people and does not cost the Earth.
“Although we have limited influence on the global fashion industry, there are still things the Welsh Government can do to make it easier for people to make sustainable decisions. We are pleased to launch our new sustainable fashion report at Cynffig Comprehensive School today.
“Wales has the potential to be a global leader in sustainable fashion, and this report shows how we can become one. One way is ensuring that all parents and guardians in Wales have access to a school uniform and sports kit swap shop.”
Bryony Bromley, Keep Wales Tidy Education Manager said:
“Uniform swap shops make uniforms more affordable and empower people to make sustainable decisions. It’s great to see so many schools running these swap shops. If every school had one, it would help to lessen the stigma around second-hand clothing, which is why we are calling on the Welsh Government to roll out a nationwide scheme.”
Other recommendations of the report include drawing up a new Microplastics Action plan for Wales to stop plastic microfibres polluting land and water courses around Wales and introducing a new Sustainable Fashion and Textile Director role within Welsh Government to ensure action across all sectors is joined up and works for people, jobs, communities, and the environment in Wales.
Sustainable Clothing and Textiles Cymru (SCTC) is a coalition of charities, local businesses, education providers and passionate individuals. Our mission is to showcase the brilliant and varied work that is making fashion and textiles more sustainable in Wales, and to inspire changemakers to make this industry better supported, better connected and more mainstream throughout the nation. Members include: The Eco-Schools programme of Keep Wales Tidy, Repair Café Wales, Sustainable Fashion Wales, Onesta, The Young Darwinian, Play it Again Sport, and Friends of the Earth Cymru.
