Shelter Scotland to give unwanted clothes a new lease of life

Following a successful Preloved Donation Pledge event in London, Shelter Scotland will be launching the initiative in Scotland, and invites the Glasgow community to join its event on the 20th of July.

The event will be held at the Shelter Scotland Botanics Shop, Great Western Rd, which will see special extended opening hours between 10am and 8pm.

The Preloved Donation Pledge initiative exists to cultivate support for the charity’s stores and slow down the impacts of fast fashion by building a community of sustainable shoppers who donate their unworn items at least three times per year. Whilst shopping preloved is more popular than ever, the donations, which are the lifeblood of charity shops, are often forgotten about.

On average, a household in Scotland becomes homeless every 18 minutes. Passing on clothes is key to lessening the environmental impact of the fashion industry, but also crucial to support the vital work that Shelter Scotland does. By donating unloved pieces to the Botanics shop’s ‘Rehome Rails’, attendees will help the charity to find these clothes a new loving home and support its vital work in tackling the housing emergency in Scotland.

At the event, attendees can donate their preloved pieces of clothing accompanied by a message to their new owner, bolstering the community spirit amongst sustainable shoppers, and also shop a mix of designer, vintage and hidden gems. Pledgers can sign the pledge in-store, and speak to Shelter Scotland representatives regarding its efforts in tackling homelessness and bad housing. The event will also see Scottish sustainable fashion digital creators, including @colettecxo and @vegan.soph, amongst others, donating high-quality pieces.

According to research by WRAP, people in the UK own an average of 118 items of clothing, with 26% of them not being used in the past year. The fashion industry is responsible for 8-10% of global emissions, therefore donating and reusing clothes is imperative to lessening its environmental impacts. By donating to, and shopping second hand at Shelter Scotland shops, we can limit these impacts, reduce waste and give clothing a new lease of life.

On September 30th 2022 there were 28,944 live homelessness cases in Scotland. The highest number on record and up 11% compared to the previous year. Shelter Scotland’s charity shops are a vital source of income, with all profits helping to fight for the right to safe housing. By donating and shopping, the community can support frontline services to continue providing free and expert help to anyone facing homelessness, as well as helping to campaign for lasting change.

Sign Shelter Scotland’s Preloved Donation Pledge here.