A few weeks ago, I was asked to get involved with some of the Global Cool initiatives for this year. For 2009, this focuses on swapping unwanted clothes and recycling old mobile phones.
For those who aren’t familiar with the GC brand, the Global Cool Foundation is a UK-based charity that aims to make a significant contribution to global efforts to tackle climate change. This happens in two ways; encouraging people to act responsibly, and accelerating the rollout of low-carbon technologies in developing countries. The later has a specific focus on schemes that aid development and address poverty.
In the run up to London Fashion Show at the end of February, Global Cool is encouraging people to recycle their unworn clothes through swishing parties. The term ‘swishing’ describes swapping unwanted clothes that you may have bought online but haven’t returned or don’t fit anymore, with those in the same position.
According to research conducted by the charity, over half of all the clothes, shoes and accessories bought by British women during 2008 have not been worn. In fact, a survey of 3,500 UK women revealed that on average £470 was spent on unused items in 2008– which results in an estimated total of £11.1 billion nationwide.
One of the most interesting parts of this is that women who shop online are twice as likely not to return unwanted garments compared to purchases on the high street. I’ve not found this to be the case – as the introduction of fabulous returns services from ASOS and Topshop have made it all the more easy to buy things that take your fancy, then send back the ones that aren’t right. But, it seems that one in ten of the women surveyed confessed to binning these unwanted clothes (madness!), effectively contributing to the estimated 900,000 tonnes of UK clothing that is sent to landfill every year.
In ‘carbon terms’, this means that UK consumers are creating an estimated 8 million tonnes of CO2 each year through the purchasing of clothes that never get worn. This carbon footprint is greater than the annual residential emissions of Wales, which has over 1.2 million homes.
The second part to this is the mobile phone recycling programme, which aims to bring solar power to Zambia. With the help of SolarAid and Vodafone, the plan is to provide people with affordable, sustainable and clean energy by reducing reliance on CO2 emitting fuels such as kerosene and disposable batteries.
The target is to initially install 100 panels in off-grid schools and community buildings such as health clinics. Additionally (along the same lines of Hand in Hand), they support local entrepreneurs to build and sell solar chargers, which power radios, mobile phones and solar lamps. The entrepreneurs sell these ‘micro solar products’ to the rural population, enabling them to make an income.
To get involved, dig out those old phones and put into an envelope marked ‘Freepost Global Cool’, or hand your mobile phone into any Vodafone shop (who are supporting the initiative).
I’ll be reporting back from the official Global Cool swishing party next month, but to find out more about the charity in the meantime, log onto www.globalcool.org