Shelter’s “Resale Therapy” campaign
09/08/2023 10:14
Shelter is on a mission to encourage more people to discover the joys of shopping second-hand and extending the life of clothes this September with its ‘Resale Therapy’ campaign. Not only does this mean helping the environment, but also finding stylish looks and in doing so, supporting Shelter in the fight for home where new government figures show record numbers of households are facing homelessness.
The total CO2 footprint of clothing in the UK in 2016 was 26.2 million tonnes, with 921,000 tonnes of textiles ending up in household residual waste in 2017. However, by doubling the life of clothes, greenhouse gas emissions can be lowered by 44%. Ahead of Secondhand Wardrobe Day on 25 August and Sustainable Fashion Week at the end of September, Shelter is helping to combat this by emphasising the importance of charity retail as the most sustainable and ethical choice when it comes to updating your wardrobe.
‘Resale Therapy’ will promote preloved shopping and donating as an antidote to fast fashion. To help people make more conscious fashion choices this September, Shelter has teamed up with a host of content creators and makers to share tips and tricks to get the best out of charity shopping and are running a programme of clinic events to help shoppers upcycle, mend or alter clothes to prolong their life. Join Dani Dawkins (@isitdanidawks), Penny Salman (@threadsforapenny) and Susanna Mensah (@semsahfashion) in Shelter Boutiques in Kings Cross, Primrose Hill and Hampstead, with more to be announced.
Shelter is no newcomer to promoting upcycling and the circular economy. It’s permanent furniture upcycling workshop above the Erdington shop restores donations that would otherwise be sent to landfill. It’s also working with WRAP on the Textiles 2030 initiative, where they are aiming to accelerate the progress towards a circular textile economy and engage people to buy, use and dispose of clothing and textile products in ways which reduce climate impact and resource use.
Whenever you shop with Shelter, all profits support the essential work to defend the right to a safe home and fight the devastating impact the housing emergency has on people and society. New government figures show 79,840 households faced homelessness in England between January and March 2023 – the highest number on record. By donating to and shopping at Shelter’s charity shops, conscious consumers can support the charity’s frontline services to continue providing free and expert help to anyone facing homelessness, as well as helping to campaign for lasting change.