Watford Borough Council, in partnership with Veolia, is hosting a clothes swap event on Saturday 13 June at St Mary’s Church in Watford.
The event will be supported by Watford Repair Cafe, who will be on hand to show residents how to fix their damaged items.
The clothes swap will run from 10am to 1pm, giving residents the chance to refresh their wardrobes without buying new.
Residents are invited to attend the event at the following times:
- 10am - 11am: residents can drop off their clothing.
- 11am - 1pm: the clothes swap will begin and residents can shop for new-to-them clothing
To ensure a high quality and enjoyable experience for all, residents are asked to follow the clothes swap guidelines:
- No accessories (e.g. bags, belts, jewellery)
- No nightwear, swimwear or underwear garments
- No children’s items or shoes
- No damaged items (including any shrunk, stained, or torn items, or those needing repair)
- All clothes must be clean and in good condition.
Taking place alongside the swap, Watford Repair Cafe will offer hands-on help to fix everyday items such as small electricals, clothing, and household goods. Residents can simply turn up with their broken item on the day and learn how to repair it.
Together, these activities highlight how simple actions can keep products in use for longer, reduce waste, and lower the environmental impact of producing new goods. This joint initiative is part of the Great Big Green Week, a nationwide campaign highlighting the importance of acting on climate and environmental issues.
During this week, the public is encouraged to get involved in events across Hertfordshire and do their part to make their community greener. Encouraging reuse is key to reducing textile waste. Recent research* shows that 49% of used textiles in the UK are placed in general waste bins, with the average person throwing away an average of 35 items of unwanted clothing each year. Reusing and recycling clothes at events like this keeps clothes in use for longer, reduces the demand for new products, and supports circular fashion.
Any clothing left after the event will be donated to Goods for Good, a local charity partner that will rehome the clothing with people experiencing poverty, displacement, or crisis.
Darren Harding, Senior Contract Manager, Veolia Watford said: “It’s fantastic to see the community coming together for this clothes swap initiative and taking positive action for the environment. This event extends our sustainability efforts beyond delivering essential recycling and waste collections, street cleansing, and parks maintenance services, by helping residents reduce textile waste. “Bringing the clothes swap together with Watford Repair Cafe for the first time will also give residents even more opportunities to learn new skills and embrace reuse. Working together, we can make a real impact during Great Big Green Week and beyond.”
Elected Mayor of Watford, Peter Taylor, said: "Clothes swaps are a simple and effective way to bring communities together, while reducing waste and rethinking how we value what we own. We’re proud to run regular clothes swaps in Watford in partnership with Veolia, and to see how enthusiastically they are embraced by the local community. By giving clothes a second life, we not only cut down on fast fashion’s environmental impact but also make sustainable choices more accessible for everyone.
“As part of Watford’s Great Big Green Week programme of activities, this initiative highlights how collective action at a local level can lead to meaningful change and we encourage residents to come along, get involved, and be part of it.”
*All statistics have come from WRAP’s 2025 Textiles Research on UK Clothing Disposal Habits
