WHAT started out as two friends exchanging clothes because one had too many, is now The Swap Project, a platform for people to swap their pre-loved clothes with others.

Founder Jayda Chong conceived the idea in 2018, as a way to prevent unused clothes from ending up in landfills.

The 32-year-old told The Malaysian Insight she founded The Swap Project after realising she had too many clothes, and that swapping, instead of buying brand new outfits, was kinder to the planet.

Clothing, especially fast fashion, is less talked about as an environmental issue, yet is a major consumer of water and contributor to carbon emissions.

According to the UN Environment Programme, 20% of global wastewater comes from textile dyeing. The clothing industry uses an estimated 93 billion cubic metres of water, much of which is tainted with harmful chemicals from dyeing processes.

And because clothes are produced mostly in countries with weaker regulations, the wastewater ends up polluting rivers and seas.

Chong, who confessed to being a former shopaholic for clothes, said starting The Swap Project helped her realise the damage caused by fast fashion and the importance of sustainable living. 

“I used to love shopping for clothes, so much so I would even buy different colours of the same top,” said Chong, whose day job is in the marketing retail industry.

“It was when I began running this project and I was scared looking at the number of clothes we all have. That was when I slowly started to cut down on shopping for clothes, and my passion and belief for sustainable and circular fashion grew stronger,” she said.

“The idea came to me when a friend of mine invited me over to pick some clothes from her, as one of her friends had given her a few huge bags. As we were picking clothes and talking, this idea of clothes swapping came about.

“That’s when my friend and I begin setting up the (social media) page and planning for our swap events,” Chong said.

Chong began The Swap Project by hosting events in various parts of the Klang Valley. She has also opened a pop-up store in Kuala Lumpur’s Sunway Velocity Mall, which will feature monthly events until January.

She said it was a struggle at first when the first event had zero attendance. It was only when their project reached the right target market, people started coming. 

“When we started, we always held the event in cafes. We would go to different locations.

To swap, one can contribute tops, bottoms, dresses, purses, shoes, accessories or menswear, but all must be clean and in good condition.

Those interested can register and pay a RM30 registration fee. On the day of the event, participants must bring five items and can take home a maximum of 15 items.

Chong said this limit is imposed to deter hoarding, as some people had brought suitcases to pack the items they chose, leaving insufficient clothing for others who arrived later.

Meanwhile, she said the project has brought together like-minded individuals who are conscious about the environment. 

The same UN Environment Programme report found that around US$500 billion (RM2.12 billion) worth of garments purchased are thrown out instead of being recycled every year.

While most of the wastage is by consumers, retail stores also contribute to the waste when they destroy unsold stock.

Other environmental problems attributed to the clothing industry are the release of synthetic microfibres into waterways, and heavy usage of insecticides and pesticides.

The UN Environment programme also holds the industry responsible for between 8% and 10% of global carbon emissions, caused by pumping of water to grow cotton – a key raw material – operate machinery and in the transport of clothing.

Since its inception in 2018, Chong said The Swap Project has managed to prevent more than 10,000 pieces of clothing from being thrown into landfills.

“I love that like-minded individuals who are conscious about the environment just come to the event, swap clothes, talk, share and make friends, and I also love that people who are new to sustainable and circular fashion are exploring clothes swapping with us and making new friends.

“I enjoy creating this swap space and platform for people to meet and share. It is a very positive environment. It is what keeps us going,” she said. 

Chong said the goal is to make The Swap Project the country’s largest swapping platform. 

“We want more and more people to start swapping clothes and make it part of their lifestyle. 

“We are in a very consumerism-centric era. With the internet and so many online shopping platforms, things are getting cheaper and more easily accessible, that people have this ‘buy and throw away’ mindset. We want to change that,” she said. 

She also hopes her project can educate people about preserving and taking care of their items, and to pass it on if they don’t want or use them anymore.

She also advocates buying good quality clothes as they last longer. Fast fashion is the opposite of this as items are cheaper and of lower quality because they are meant to be worn only when a certain trend is in season.

“Clothes swapping encourages circular fashion; some clothes that were swapped out, get swapped back in, and out again by a new owner, which is a very sustainable process.” 

The circular model ensures there is no wastage.

“We always remind swappers, that decluttering their wardrobe at The Swap Project isn’t about making more space to buy new clothes, because that would start the buy and throw away culture all over again.”

Chong said she hopes to turn The Swap Project into a social enterprise if the project expands. 

Those interested to find out more about it can visit The Swap Project’s Facebook page. – December 12, 2021.