Camden Town Brewery and TRAID collaborate to fight fashion waste – Resource Magazine

Camden Town Brewery and London-based charity TRAID (Textile Recycling and International Development) have teamed up to tackle clothes waste and its impact on the environment by offering customers an easy way to donate old clothing and textiles.

The 12-Pack Give Back initiative sees Camden Town Brewery transforming its Camden Hells Lager 12-packs into reusable handy freepost donation parcels so customers can donate unwanted clothing to TRAID free of charge.

The empty 12-packs can be filled with unworn and unwanted garments and taken to the post office where the pre-paid packages will go straight to TRAID, which sustainably re-uses the donations, by either re-selling the reusable items in one of its 11 London charity shops, sending them to international textile companies or recycling them as fabric for industrial cloth or car seat filling.

Jasper Cuppaidge, Founder of Camden Town Brewery, commented: Were so impressed and inspired by the work that TRAID do to reduce clothes waste in the UK, encouraging us all to become more sustainable and conscious about the way we shop. Were really excited to collaborate on this project, promoting great beer and good will, for a great cause.

The growth of fast fashion cheap, mass-produced clothing lines with quick, seasonal turnarounds has created a significant environmental problem, with unwanted clothes more often than not ending up in landfill or incineration. Last year, the UK discarded 300,000 tonnes of clothes the equivalent weight of 2,500 blue whales or 600,000 grand pianos.

Though the government is working on introducing new policies to develop a circular economy in many sectors, fashion and textiles continue to be a problem area. In June 2018, Parliaments Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) carried out a report into the sustainability of the fashion industry and proposed the introduction of a one pence tax on clothing to fund the collection, recycling and reuse of textiles. The government, however, rejected the proposal, expressing a preference for voluntary rather than legislative measures.

As part of the EACs inquiry, a select committee hearing held at the Victoria and Albert Museum in November 2018 called for improved repair and reuse provisions and more consumer information on the environmental impacts of their fashion choices.

This September, TRAID revealed that nearly a quarter of Londoners admit to throwing clothes in the bin rather than passing them on. However, since the launch of the charitys 23 per cent campaign (named as such after the revelation that 23 per cent of Londoners clothes are unworn) one year before, TRAID was also able to report that the citys residents had donated one million garments, showing the potential impact such initiatives can have when consumers are adequately informed and the option to donate is made accessible.

Commenting on the latest drive, Maria Chenoweth, CEO at TRAID, said: Were delighted that Camden Town Brewery are encouraging their customers to pass unworn clothes on to TRAID for someone else to use. The fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world and responsible for around 1.2 billion tonnes of carbon emissions every year, which is more than international flights and maritime shipping combined.

In this era of climate emergency, giving longer life to our clothes is a practical effective way to reduce the amount we consume and produce, to protect our planet and its citizens.

To celebrate the new partnership, Camden Town Brewery bar is hosting the Camden x TRAID Pop-up Shop on Saturday 7 December and will feature the Camden Capsule Collection curated by TV presenter Laura Jackson.

The special edition Camden Hells Lager 12-packs are being stocked in participating Sainsburys, Tesco, Morrisons, Ocado and Waitrose stores nationwide and will be available until March 2020.

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Camden Town Brewery and TRAID collaborate to fight fashion waste - Resource Magazine