Fashion enthusiasts and environmentally conscious shoppers don’t want to miss an upcoming clothing swap spearheaded by the Association of Whistler Area Residents for the Environment (AWARE).
Hosted at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler on Oct. 15, all are welcome to bring a bag–or bags–of previously loved clothes, outdoor apparel, shoes and accessories for the bi-annual event. Check-in starts at 6 p.m., and when attendees bring used goods for the event, they get a discounted entrance fee of $10. Otherwise, the event costs $20 and all items are free to take home without charge. The swap ends at 8 p.m.
Once inside the Macdonald Ballroom, volunteers and donors weigh and hang clothing. Clothing is weighed so AWARE can find out how much waste they divert from landfills. Before the swap starts, attendees can visit the bar, and staff will let them know when to return for a swapping spree.
Program manager for AWARE, Charlotte Reid, said the swap, in its 13th year, aligns with Circular Economy Month.
“Clothing swaps are a great way to promote a circular economy. It offers people the ability to get rid of stuff that they’re no longer wearing and find pre-loved stuff. A shift towards a circular economy is super important in the current state of the world, because over-consumption is leading to increased greenhouse gases,” Reid said.
Donated clothing must be wearable–clean and tear free.
“We welcome all types of clothing, whether it's your Halloween outfit that you thrifted last year and you want to get rid of this year, or whether it be kids clothing, adult clothing, whatever you have that you deem that somebody else might take value in, please feel free to bring that along,” she said.
Reid recalls one year when a wedding dress was one of the first items to get picked up for a second life.
“You don’t know what you’re going to find, but you’re usually pleasantly surprised,” she said.
Cordoned off change rooms and mirrors are on hand for finding that perfect fit or returning the item so someone else may find joy from the piece.
According to the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), consumers these days buy more clothes and wear them less than any other time in history, seeking fast fashion trends with long-lasting environmental degradation.
The Ellen Macarthur Foundation, which partners with the UNEP, notes “a truckload of abandoned textiles is dumped in landfill or incinerated every second. Meanwhile, it is estimated people are buying 60 per cent more clothes and wearing them for half as long.”
AWARE uses proceeds from the entrance fee for environmental work in the Sea to Sky. After deal-hunters finish perusing the pre-loved treasures, Whistler Community Services Society gets the remaining items, selling them at the Re-Use-It Centre.
There’s also a repair station available for items in need of quick mends by donation.
The Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) sponsors AWARE’s clothing swap because it aligns with its Climate Action Big Moves Strategy, and space is donated from the Fairmont Chateau Whistler.
AWARE encourages biking, taking transit or walking to the event, but paid parking is available in the village.
