According to Greenpeace, on average an individual has 95 pieces of clothing in their wardrobe and a hefty 18 items are worn less than 2 times a year or, you guessed it, never. For women this figure is even higher, with 22 out of 118 items not being worn. Often these items have simply been passed by and buried in the back of our wardrobes but more often than not they’re bought, then overlooked during a passing fast fashion trend - no judgements, we’ve all been there! It was love at first sight - until it wasn’t.
So, we knew we needed to tackle this issue from the inside, by treating wardrobes like treasure chests, as opposed to dumping grounds. Therefore, we invited our customers to be sustainable with us in the most convenient way possible, building sustainable consumer habits that encourage us all to reduce, reuse or recycle.
This is how it works:
● As part of our membership scheme, customers are able to shop Swedish Fall items every 3 months to be included in their Swedish Fall Box.
● Our customers are sent their favorite items & for every item they keep, they are invited to send back one item of clothing. This doesn’t have to be a Swedish Fall item or activewear in general, this can be any brand or item.
● When we have received enough items in our warehouse, we send the thousands of items to our recycling partner who will then sort the items for reuse, recycle or downcycle. Items that are only able to be reused are sent to those in need of clothing.
This thoughtful, more conscious way of shopping not only enables our customers to edit their wardrobes every 3 months but it also eliminates the guilt that often comes with shopping. Our customers know they’re contributing to the reduction of fashion’s carbon footprint and as a result, they’re part of something bigger and better when they become a Swedish Fall member.
Our future looks more sustainable than ever, through a multiphase approach focusing on both our customer’s behaviour and our manufacturing. Whilst our first step has been to educate our engaged community on the issue of fashion waste, our next operation is to integrate and foster wardrobe recycling habits into our customer’s behaviour: