Clothing swap aims to build community, cut waste in Johnson County

To help build community and curb waste, Johnson County Conservation will host its second annual clothing swap event this weekend.

Michelle Wiegand, one of the education specialists with Johnson County Conservation, said the event also promotes “neighbors sharing with neighbors.”

“We know that this is a spendy time of year and there are many folks in our community who are stretched thin now — and some at all times of year,” she said. “This is also a way for us to help our community find clothes they enjoy and save some money.”

The program works by residents donating clothes they no longer want or wear to Johnson County Conservation, so they can be shopped by others for no cost.

Wiegand said the event helps Iowans meet their financial needs, while also reducing their environmental impact.

In fact, Wiegand said the first time the event was offered last January, about 2,000 pounds of clothes were diverted from local landfills.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, about 11,300 tons of textiles and fabrics were sent to landfills across the country in 2018, a number that has been steadily increasing since the 1960s.

Wiegand said the modern fashion industry — especially “fast fashion,” which refers to inexpensive clothing that is rapidly produced — puts “tremendous pressure on our environment.”

“We want to reduce the amount of clothes going into the landfill and slow down the impact of producing new clothes, specifically the energy and water use of producing, shipping and storing new clothes,” she said.

About the event

The swap will include clothing items ranging from dresses and shoes, to pants, jackets and shirts.

Items like jewelry, snow gear, winter coats, sunglasses, gloves and children’s clothing also will be available at the event.

The event will not have undergarments, socks, swimwear or home goods.

The swap will be open to the public on Saturday, Dec. 6, from 1-3 p.m. at Kent Park’s Conservation Education Center.

Wiegand said anyone is welcome. The event is not limited to Johnson County residents.

There is no entry fee, but attendees are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items to be donated to local pantries.

Although Johnson County Conservation hosts the event, Wiegand said it is managed in partnership with Johnson County’s Planning, Development and Sustainability Department.

She said any remaining clothes that are in good condition will be donated to nonprofits like Shelter House in Iowa City and the North Liberty Community Pantry.

For now, Wiegand said organizers plan to host the event once per calendar year.

“We may switch to a different time of year or add more swaps, but they are a big undertaking, so we are still finding the sweet spot for when we host,” she said.

Overall, Wiegand said that attendees come to the event for a multitude of reasons.

“For some it’s that they want to reduce their environmental impact. For others, they want a fun thing to do with friends,” she said. Others attend out of economic need, including some folks last year who were new immigrants or others who recently split up with a partner and were just starting from scratch.”

Olivia Cohen covers energy and environment for The Gazette and is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues. She is also a contributing writer for the Ag and Water Desk, an independent journalism collaborative focusing on the Mississippi River Basin.

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Comments: olivia.cohen@thegazette.com