Revamp your wardrobe at sustainable clothes swaps in Hemel Hempstead

Budget-conscious fashionistas are being given the chance to revamp their wardrobe at three sustainable clothes swaps in Hemel Hempstead.

Dacorum Borough Council is hosting the swaps on March 25 and 26 - given people the chance to exchange their unwanted items for something different.

All you need to do is bring along your good-quality items that you no longer wear, and swap them for something new to you.

And it's good for the environment as well as your pocket - as the fashion industry is responsible for 10 per cent of global carbon emissions. This means the clothes that we buy are contributing to climate change more than air and sea travel combined. Textile production is also the world’s second largest industrial polluter after oil.

A shocking £140million worth of clothes go in the bin every year in the UK - around 350,000 tonnes.

And on average, almost a third of the clothes in most people's wardrobes haven't been worn for more than a year.

The clothes swaps will take place at The Forum, Marlowes at:

Friday, March 25: drop off 11.30am to 12.30am; swap from 1pm to 2pm.

Friday, March 25: drop off from 5.30pm to 6.30pm; swap from 7pm to 8pm

Saturday, March 26: drop off from 10am to 11am; swap from 12pm to 2pm.

How it works

A maximum of ten items per person in adult sizes will be accepted.

Items accepted: good quality clothes, shoes and bags.

Items not accepted: bad quality items (dirty, ripped, torn, stained, broken zips, etc) jewellery, underwear, nightwear, swimwear or babies and children’s clothes.

Bring your own reusable bags to take items home – carrier bags will not be provided.

Any items remaining by the end of the day will be donated to a charity shop.

This event is for swapping good quality clothing only. Items that are not good quality can either be repaired recycled or some retailers have a 'take back' schemes.

So remember, second-hand doesn’t mean second-best. Come along to one of the clothes swaps and enjoy swapping not shopping.

For more information about recycling clothes visit the council's website.