Give your clothes a new lease of life this Sustainable Fashion Week

Sustainable Fashion Week, organised by A Single Thread, takes place from 26 September to 4 October, encouraging us all to think differently about our clothes and discover simple ways to make them last longer. 

From repairing a favourite jumper and swapping clothes with friends to shopping pre-loved or donating items you no longer wear, there are lots of ways to refresh your wardrobe while reducing waste. 

Keeping clothes in use for longer helps reduce the resources, energy and water needed to make new items, as well as cutting the amount of textiles that end up being thrown away. 

Get involved locally 

There are plenty of opportunities in and around Waverley to repair, reuse and discover pre-loved fashion, including: 

• Cranleigh Repair Café’s Community Fashion Show at Farnham Maltings on Saturday 03 October 

• A Vintage Fashion Fair at Farnham Maltings on Saturday 31 October 

• Repair Cafés across Waverley meet monthly and offer sewing and textile repairs 

• Some Library of Things have sewing machines available to loan 

• Zero Carbon Guildford’s Sustainable Fashion Week 

Find out more about Repair Cafes and Library of Things by visiting Community Donations | Waverley Borough Council 

You can also find other events in your area by visiting A Single Thread’s community events page: Community Events | A Single Thread — A Single Thread 

Repair, re-wear and reuse 

Before getting rid of something you no longer wear, could it be repaired, altered or passed on to somebody else? 

For tips on repairing and reusing your clothes visit Surrey Environment Partnership’s Repair and Rewear webpage or Recycle Now’s Clothing and Textiles webpage. For information on locations in Surrey where you can get clothes repaired, donate or buy pre-loved look at Surrey’s Zero Waste Map.  

Got textiles you can't reuse? We'll collect them for free 

If your unwanted textiles aren't suitable to be passed on, Waverley Borough Council offers residents a free kerbside collection service for unwanted and worn textiles. We cannot collect carpets, rugs or duvets, but these can be taken to your local Community Recycling Centre. To book a textiles collection, or for more information, visit our website: Small Electricals, Batteries & Textiles Collection | Free Recycling Service | Waverley Borough Council 

We can collect clean, dry items including: 

• clothing 

• paired shoes 

• bed linen and towels 

• curtains, duvet covers and pillowcases 

• accessories such as hats, scarves and belts.  

Please don't put unwanted textiles in your blue recycling bin. They can't be processed alongside your usual paper, card, glass, tins and plastics. 

By repairing, reusing, donating or recycling our unwanted clothes and textiles, we can all help keep them in use for longer and reduce waste.