second-hand uniform
Second-hand school uniform is a win-win-win-win. 1) It keeps clothes out of landfill and polluting incinerators, 2) It negates the need to buy brand new (avoiding the carbon, water and toxic pollution associated with the manufacture/transport/packaging of new clothing), 3) It can return money to your pocket/ to charity and 4) Is an easy way to engage parents on the school’s efforts to reduce its environmental impacts.
How to promote second-hand uniform
To destigmatise second-hand uniform, frame its importance as an environmental win for the entire school community - it’s a collaborative effort.
If possible, make it available upon request rather than limiting its availability to in-school events that not all parents will be able to access. This also avoids individuals having to ‘publicly’ take uniform if they are uncomfortable doing so.
Ensure availability of second-hand uniform is repeatedly mentioned in school newsletters and is on the school website, to remind parents of its existence. Be sure to remind parents that the availability of second-hand uniform depends on parents kindly donating outgrown items and if you are short of particular items, put out special requests for what you are short of.
When requesting uniform donations, explicitly state that damaged uniform is still welcome. If possible, ask a parent volunteer to be in charge of repairs. Irreparably damaged uniform can be cut up to make patches for trousers for example, or recycled in a textile recycling bank.
Uniform can be made available free of charge or on a donations-basis, with money going to the Parent Council/ PTA or to a designated charity.
If your school has sufficient storage space, you can also redistribute second-hand water bottles, packed lunch boxes, backpacks and stationery.
Second-hand uniform can be circulated: by the school directly on a requests-basis and at school events; by a parent volunteer (who coordinates enquiries and sends weekly requests to the school, who then pass items directly to the child); via a parent-run container unit/shed located on schools grounds (unlocked/locked daily by parents so it’s accessible Monday - Friday and one Saturday a month); directly between parents via a school-wide Facebook or a WhatsApp group; and/or by a third party in the community (see examples below).
Be aware that local authorities can provide a school clothing grant for uniform and shoes to families on income support, tax credits and other financial support. And see if there is a School Uniform Bank already operating in your local area, providing free school uniform to those who need it most.
If you’re short on donated uniform, identify clothing drop-off points in your community (e.g. clothing banks, food banks, community hubs) and see if they would be willing to pass on anything they can’t re-home.
See if the Pupil Eco Committee in the school or class teachers may be interested in data on second-hand uniform for maths classes. This ‘real world data’ could be used to calculate CO2 savings and then be brought to life when equated with electricity consumption in our daily lives (e.g. TV or lights), or volumes/weight could be equated to the size/weight of animals, or distance of all the rehomed uniform if laid down in a row (and what local landmarks it would reach). This data could then be used to promote the existence/importance of second-hand uniform across the school community.
To ensure uniform donations from P7 pupils, trial a no-uniform week in the last week of the summer term to give parents the opportunity to wash and hand in any unwanted uniform.
To get new P1 parents on board, offer them bundles of second-hand uniform when they first come in to the school in the summer term before their August start. Pop them in donated gift bags (everyone has some stashed away) with nice tags on saying ‘Welcome to x school’. People won’t turn down a gift [see image below].
Where you cannot meet a second-hand uniform request, the best place to buy it online is Apparel Exchange. They are based in Glasgow and it was set up by a parent who wanted to make sure everyone had access to affordable, sustainable uniform. All donated items are quality checked and cleaned (of course!).
New P1 Parent second-hand uniform gift bundles - given to parents in the summer term when they visited the school prior to the August start.
Examples from around Scotland
Third parties that buy, sell and provide (free of charge) second-hand uniform: social enterprise Apparel Xchange in Glasgow (Southside), online marketplace Uniformerly, Glasgow’s PreLoved Uniforms, and school uniform banks (a referral is needed) such as the West Lothian School Bank and the Edinburgh School Uniform Bank. A comprehensive list of School Uniform Banks can be found here.
Some schools coordinate sharing second-hand uniform within the wider community via community halls, churches (this fantastic example was the brainchild of the primary school eco club!), local Co-ops, or Scout Halls.
One school has a uniform shop permanently inside the school’s front door (outside the security-controlled door) for parents to collect items whenever they need them - everything is ordered by size on shelves and rails and it is organised by the Parent Council/ PTA.