Fast fashion, which sees clothing produced at a rapid pace and often discarded after
minimal use, has a significant impact on the environment. The global fashion industry is
responsible for an estimated 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with millions of
garments ending up in landfills each year. The production process alone is energy,
water and toxin-intensive, with the transportation of clothing worldwide, and packaging
adding further emissions. By swapping clothes or buying second hand instead of buying
new, people can directly combat this cycle of waste.
To encourage sustainable fashion and reduce the environmental impact of fast fashion
Buxton Community School (BCS) is set to host a Clothes Swap event on Thursday,
20th March 2025. Organised by the BCS Climate Action Group with support from
Transition Buxton, the event will take place in the Gothic Hall at the school, Buxton,
SK17 9EA.
The event will be open to BCS students and staff at lunchtime 12:30-1:15pm, then re-
open at 3:30pm for students and parents, and finally opening up to the general public
from 4:30 to 6:30pm. The event will offer participants the chance to swap unwanted
clothing for tokens, which can then be exchanged for other garments. Anyone wishing
to take part is invited to bring up to five (or more!) clean, good-quality items suitable for
anyone over the age of 5 including; clothing, shoes, or accessories to swap for tokens.
These tokens can then be used to pick out “new-to-you” items during the event.
The Clothes Swap initiative is part of BCS Climate Action Group’s ongoing commitment
to raising awareness of environmental issues within the school and wider community.
Transition Buxton CIC, which aims to build resilience and promote sustainable living in Buxton is also on hand to support the event. If all goes well the students would like to
see something similar take place at the school two or three times a year.
Events like this promote sustainability, reduce waste, and bring people together in a fun
and meaningful way and offer participants an eco-friendly way to refresh their wardrobe.
Choose your items to bring and come along – you might be surprised what treasures
you take home.
Haydn Smith, Buxton Community School Climate Action Group