National Recycling Week

Australian’s on average generate 2.25 kg of waste per person per day. Wollongong residents are great recyclers but we can do more to reduce our impact on our environment.  

The Avoid, Reuse, Recycle fashion parade was held as part of National Recycling Week activities.    

A growing trend is fast fashion which is the clothing equivalent of fast food. Every season cheap clothing floods our market from overseas. With prices so low, some consumers start to consider this clothing as disposable. Fast fashion leaves a pollution footprint which generates potential environmental hazards.  

Preloved and vintage clothing took centre stage on 12 and 13 November, and delighted onlookers with the Wollongong City Council and Sustainable Illawarra’s Avoid, Reuse, Recycle fashion parade to remind shoppers that there are alternatives to the main stream shopping outlets. These stores provide an opportunity to purchase quality clothing at affordable prices, while resulting in minimal impact on our environment and reuses clothing which still have potential life left in them.

Pre loved and vintange fashion was courtesy of DeJa Vogue, Something for Doris and Red Cross and Anglicare opportunity shops.    

The Big Aussie Swap Party was held on Tuesday 10 November. 
 
There was just over 70 residents who attended the swap party and swapped a total of 295 items.   The most popular items swapped were women's clothing, books, men's clothing and accessories such as bags, belts and scarves.
 
It was great to see men being involved with the event. 21% of those attended were men and the remaining 79% female.  
 
95% of those surveyed said they enjoyed the swap party. 20% of the residents attended enjoyed it because they saved money, 19% attended for a fun day out, 16% attended for environmental reasons and another 25% attended as it was an opportunity to clean out unwanted items.