The Clothing Loop is an initiative that offers an easy way for people to swap clothes with others in their own neighborhood. It’s fun, free and sustainable! The idea is simple: (large) bags filled with clothes travel along a route past all participants in a certain city or district.

Did you receive the bag from the person before you in the Loop? Now it’s time to shop! Take any items you like, and put clothing items in the bag that are in good condition and ready for a new owner. Feel free to share a photo of your latest find in the corresponding communication channel. It is really nice to see where those clothes end up! Then you bring the bag to the next person on the list. Not all participants know each other, so it really increases the sense of community in the neighborhood.

This idea originated in Amsterdam during the first lockdown. It worked so well that soon other cities followed, and it snowballed throughout the Netherlands, and even across borders. By now there are hundreds of Loops. And not just in densely populated areas, the system works everywhere! With our guidance, support and community building efforts, this local initiative grew into the powerful movement it is today. Together we have saved thousands of kilos of clothing, neighbors have gotten to know each other, and we brought about a real change in behavior with regard to our textile consumption.

Please join the movement! After all, if you buy only six items less than you normally would in a year, you save about 40 kilos of CO2 emissions: the equivalent of driving one gasoline car from Amsterdam to Paris. Our goal is to reach 1 million swappers within the next 5 years. This saves as much CO2 emissions as driving that same car around the world 5,000 times. You are welcome to try it now: sign up and/or follow us on socials to decide later. We’d love to inspire you to stop shopping and start swapping! PS: Why do we use Ikea bags you ask? Because we first want to use stuff that already exists.

The Clothing Loop

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