" Your old clothes are someone else's new clothes. Exchange or share this small joy with those around you ."
Most women love following fashion trends, from t-shirts and summer dresses for vacations to a variety of pants to mix and match for a stunning look. However, behind this passion for buying new clothes, there's an unseen price to pay. Furthermore, old clothes often get neglected, rarely worn, and are eventually forgotten, ending up in trash. This habit shortens the lifespan of clothes, even though they're still perfectly wearable and of high quality.
According to data from the Zero Waste website , fashion waste is one of the most polluting industrial wastes, along with the rise of fast fashion . In fact, after oil and gas, the clothing and textile industry is the world's largest polluter (source: Fashion Industry Waste Statistics ). Globally, the fashion industry contributes 20% of the world's water waste and 10% of the world's total carbon emissions (source: Unfashionalliance.org ).
This figure is expected to continue to rise and become increasingly alarming if no intervention is taken. One way to address this is through the Clothes Swap initiative. This initiative, launched by Zero Waste in 2019 , aims to extend the lifespan of clothing by exchanging it with others.
Did you know that Indonesia is known as one of the fastest-growing fashion destinations in Southeast Asia? Therefore, through Amanda Zahra Marsono, Head of Public Relations and Marketing Project Manager , Zero Waste hopes this Clothes Swap Movement can reduce textile waste and reduce total carbon emissions by 30-50%. (Source: Liputan6 )
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In Indonesia, textile industry waste is also becoming increasingly concerning, as seen in the 300-kilometer-long Citarum River, which has been polluted by 440 textile processing factories, most of which lack or operate wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Yet, this river plays a vital role in the survival of humans in the Pasundan region of West Java. (Source: Pikiran Rakyat)
On the other hand, the rise of fast fashion products is the result of market demand that continues to want the latest fashion and trends all the time. To overcome this, we must start to grow self-awareness and educate people around us to apply the concept of slow fashion/sustainable fashion such as recycling our own clothes, sewing or altering them according to our wishes, buying at second-hand stores or accepting used clothes from people close to us.
However, the Clothes Swap Movement remains very limited. However, it has significant potential for continued development as a promising strategic solution to minimize clothing waste and raise awareness of fashion industry waste. Furthermore, by raising awareness of clothing waste, this movement can help break the stigma surrounding the public's reluctance to wear secondhand clothing, as the quality of secondhand clothing is comparable to that of fast fashion brands . Furthermore, it is hoped that people will transition to slow fashion or learn to create their own clothing tailored to the wearer's preferences and desires.
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From an economic perspective, the Clothes Swap Movement can also partner with various local thrift stores to meet the community's need for cool ready-to-wear clothing at affordable prices.
To create a massive movement and keep up with the digital age, the Clothes Swap Movement is available on websites, social media, and digital apps. Users can upload clothing and various fashion items such as bags, fabrics, shoes, and more to offer as exchanges. Other users can view the items and, if they find them suitable, offer them in exchange for their own products. Once an agreement is reached, the items can be shipped to each other's addresses.
On the Clothes Swap Movement app, users can also send unwanted or unsuitable clothing, which will then be collected and sorted. Clothes that are still usable can be donated to orphanages or areas in need, while the remainder can be given to MSMEs to be recycled into scrap fabric, footwear, shopping bags, and various other products with sales value.
This way, clothes that were previously just sitting in closets can be put to good use and become new clothes for others. This Clothes Swap concept is also easy to replicate and implement on a smaller scale, such as within communities, housing complexes, and so on, eliminating the need for excessive procedures or complexity to initiate this initiative.
The hope is that digitizing this initiative through the Clothes Swap Movement will become a driving force for all sectors to become more aware of the negative impacts of excessive use of fashion and garment products. By utilizing the concept of a recycled economy , the Clothes Swap Movement can become an economic initiative that can be implemented throughout Indonesia without sacrificing the environment.
By: Lenny
Self-employed
