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School uniform that doesn’t cost the earth…
We’re talking to Izzie Eriksen, the founder and driving force behind ApparelXchange, a Scottish social enterprise aiming to make it easy to reuse school uniforms, instead of wasting them.
ApparelXchange works with schools across Glasgow (age groups 7-18) to gather uniforms, and process them so they can be reused. There is an online shop, a store in Glasgow plus pop-up shops in schools.
How does it work? People donate uniforms at the shops or at collection points in schools. Next, everything is sorted and quality checked, and anything below the quality standard goes to a registered textile recycler. Finally, clothes in excellent reusable condition are washed, ironed and then made available for re-sale.
We discuss how to make reuse and pre-loved clothing cool, how to persuade people to opt-out of fast fashion, and some of the subscription models popping up for clothing.
Links we mention in the episode:
ApparelXchange https://www.apparelxchange.co.uk/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/apparelxchangeCIC/
Twitter https://twitter.com/apparelxchange_
Izzie Eriksen on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/izzie-eriksen-b3a1a79/
Other people/organisations we mention:
Zero Waste Scotland https://www.zerowastescotland.org.uk
Ethical Consumer https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/
Dr Patsy Perry @drpatsyperry (Twitter)
Vigga baby wear (leasing) https://vigga.us/
Nike Adventure Club (subscription sneakers) https://web.archive.org/web/20230330175949/https://web.archive.org/web/20230330175949/https://www.nikeadventureclub.com/how-it-works
Izzie’s suggested guests:
Peter Lavelle – Glasgow Wood Recycling social enterprise https://glasgowwoodrecycling.org.uk/
Sam (Samantha) Moir– Merry-Go-Round (baby and toddler wear) http://merrygoroundglasgow.co.uk/
Podcast host Catherine Weetman helps businesses use circular, regenerative and fair solutions to do better, with less.
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Read on for more on our guest and links to the people, organisations and other resources we mention.
Izzie Eriksen
Izzie founded ApparelXchange CIC, a social enterprise, in 2018. It focuses on changing consumer clothing behaviour, through reuse, recycling and developing new circular business models for school uniform and children’s clothing. This dynamic organisation combines awareness-raising, education and practical action, empowering young people to make smart choices.
Izzie is also the Strategic Programme Manager for Zero Waste Scotland, which involves identifying, developing and supporting whole value chain opportunities in Scotland to accelerate the circular economy.
Graduating in 2000, Izzie started volunteering with the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers. This led to an employed role mainly supporting community-based projects plus raising the profile and involvement in composting through the supply of bins and education in primary schools, waste education and recycling projects and green space improvements.
Izzie’s career progressed to developing recycling schemes and sustainable backcourt initiatives in high-density communities in Glasgow in partnership with the local authority with Govanhill Community Development Trust.
By 2006, Izzie managed and led Spruce Carpets, the award-winning social enterprise alleviating poverty and providing training and employment through the re-use and recycling of domestic and commercial carpets, before joining WRAP in 2011.
While at WRAP and more recently at Zero Waste Scotland, she has led textile-related market development research and was a representative on the Reuse and Recycling working group of Sustainable Clothing Action Plan. She was a Programme Manager for Re-use and Repair and now Strategic Programme Manager.
ApparelXchange
With a great strapline – ‘School uniform that doesn’t cost the earth – ApparelXchange is an emerging social enterprise focusing on the re-use of school uniforms to create social and environmental benefits.
ApparelXchange works with primary and secondary schools across Glasgow (age groups 7-18) to gather uniforms, and process them so they can be reused. There is an online shop, a store in Glasgow plus pop-up shops in schools.
People donate uniforms at the shops or at collection points in schools. Everything is sorted and quality checked, and anything below the quality standard goes to a registered textile recycler.
Clothes in excellent reusable condition are washed, ironed and then made available for re-sale.
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