Panelist Aja Barber with the Complimentary Kindness team Sharon Wilson and James Clarke.
According to the waste Charity, Wrap, more than 300,000 tonnes of used clothing goes to landfill in the UK every year, with 5 per cent of the UK's total annual carbon and water footprint coming from clothing consumption. Fashion itself generates 4% of the world's waste each year equating to 92 million tons. The figures are alarming and the panelists at The Big Swish Festival of Sustainable Fashion event at the O2 Arena on Sunday 24th November shared with the audience ways in which we could take responsibility for our own carbon footprint and make a difference to reduce this.
Swapping our unwanted clothes was one option and Betsy’s Clothes Swap Shop was a huge success and attracted a constant stream of customers. There were also inspiring workshops, spoken word artists, sustainable fashion shows and an array of vegan food and sustainable products on sale.
The Complimentary Kindness Team was in full swing - capturing the compliments of the attendees and guest speakers who wanted to express kind words of appreciation and gratitude to people in their lives. The compliments were flowing and numerous people were inspired to post or distribute compliment cards to friends, work colleagues and family members who were not present but could also enjoy the experience. Founder of Complimentary Kindness, Sharon Wilson, also moderated a Panel Session titled Beauty Has No Size explored how size relates to sustainability and how inclusivity and diversity are needed in order to create a more sustainable future for fashion.
We would like to compliment Betsy’s Clothes Swap Shop for organizing an amazing event and to thank all the participants and attendees for their contribution to sustainability.