Swapping pre-loved school uniforms helps family budgets stretch further and is great for our planet, too.
With the cost-of-living crisis squeezing household budgets, many families are looking to save money on uniforms and sportswear as children head back to school this month.
Many parents and guardians turn to the high street for affordable school clothing, but there isn’t always a low-cost option, especially when it comes to purchasing branded uniforms. Compulsory blazers, pullovers, and sports kits featuring school emblems can be expensive and sooner or later need replacing as children outgrow them.
Kitting out children for a new school year, and sometimes a new school, doesn’t have to cost the earth, however. Nor do the 1.4 million wearable school uniforms thrown away in the UK every year, equating to 350 tonnes of plastic, have to end up in landfill.
Pop-up swap shops are a brilliant way for families to manage back-to-school spending and find new homes for unwanted uniforms.
What is a Uniform Swap Shop?
The concept is beautifully simple.
Parents and guardians donate surplus uniforms and unwanted sportswear and can pick up quality, pre-loved replacements that fit properly without having to buy them brand new.
It’s free. It reduces textile waste. Everybody wins.
What’s more, a second-hand uniform swap shop isn’t only a fantastic way for schools and parent groups to support their community and promote sustainability. It is also an excellent opportunity to collaborate with or obtain sponsorship from local organisations and businesses.
Here are our 7 top tips for setting up a school uniform swap shop:
1. Start with a plan
Outline why you’re setting up the swap shop – to help families save money, reduce waste, or both – and decide whether you’ll focus on specific schools or multiple schools in your area.
2. Teamwork makes the dream work
Put a call out for volunteers, including parents, teachers and community members, to help with organising, collecting, sorting and distributing uniforms, and assign specific tasks, including marketing, logistics, and customer service.
3. Choose a venue, set a date
Choose an easily accessible location like a community centre, school hall or church and ensure there is enough space for sorting and displaying uniforms, plus amenities such as parking, toilets, and disabled access. Dates and opening times outside of working hours/weekdays are likely to be more convenient for parents, carers and guardians.
4. Spread the word… and get collecting
Promote your swap shop on social media, through flyers and posters, in school newsletters and local newspapers, and set up convenient drop-off locations for people to donate uniforms in advance of the shop’s opening day/s.
5. Sort and prepare
Before the big day, be sure to quality check all donated items and organise the uniforms by size, type and school. Label them clearly, ready to be displayed on tables and racks, or hangers and rails if these can be borrowed. It’s also worth preparing signs to guide swap shoppers around the swap.
6. The grand opening
Having a welcome desk is great way to greet visitors to your swap shop and explain the process. Ensure volunteers are on hand to assist with finding sizes and managing shoppers.
7. After the event
Consider gathering feedback from visitors to improve future swap shops. Any leftover uniforms could be stored for the next event or donated to a local charity shop.
Find more tips and ideas at the North London Waste Authority’s School Uniform Exchange webpage.
Uniform Swap Shop Success Stories
Any community, school or organisation can set up a uniform swap shop, as these three inspiring projects from around the UK prove…
The School Uniform Project, Northern Ireland
A 2023 survey found that school uniforms were the top expense of parents in Northern Ireland. The School Uniform Project is easing this burden by providing free, second-hand uniforms to families in need. Run by Redeeming Our Communities (ROC), the project has been operating for six years and now has seven centres across Belfast and Dundonald.
Co-op swap shops, Leicestershire
Now in its second year, a uniform swap shop scheme in North West Leicestershire saved three tonnes of clothes from landfill in its first year. Old uniforms can be donated or collected for free at 14 participating Co-op stores. The initiative helps families cope with the high costs of school uniforms.
Salvation Army Uniform Bank, Suffolk
Earlier this month, the Salvation Army in Sudbury set up a uniform bank to support families affected by the cost-of-living crisis. Following the success of a swap shop held in 2023, the uniform bank offers free school uniforms to those in need, helping to alleviate financial stress.
More Ideas and Inspiration for your Uniform Swap Shop
In addition to school and community swap shops, there are several online marketplaces for recycling, buying, selling, and giving away outgrown and unwanted school uniforms. These include:
Members of Climate Education can use our Fast Fashion lesson plan to help educate students on the importance of clothing sustainability. You can also access Fox’s Waste Adventure Resources to teach students about the Circular Economy and the importance of waste reduction for a sustainable future.
Non-members have access to a selection of free learning resources, including our Sustainable Shopping Bags activity.
