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After more than a decade as a nomad initiative, where monthly the Swap Shop team had to pack and unpack donated clothes and other items in order to have selling events in available classrooms, since May 2026, the Swap Shop has been given a permanent space in our school. The team of students and Swap Shop staff supervisor continue to process donations almost every week and several events have been organized only for staff. Through the selling at very affordable prices (1€ to 4€) of items donated by staff and families and unclaimed from the Lost&Found service, we ensure there is always money for the Swap Shop Fund so students can apply four times in the year to funding for projects that can have a positive impact in the school and/or local community. When events are organized for staff and parents, the prices go from 5€ to 20€ or additional donations.
Activiteit/evenement
Permanent space for the school's Swap Shop
- Welke tips wil je andere Eco-teams geven bij het organiseren van een activiteit/evenement?: For a Swap Shop to run smoothly, you need local partners who at least on a monthly basis can take on donations of clothing that are no longer sold or can be upcycled. Otherwise, the amount of donations becomes unmanageable and not always as many items get sold. Keeping only items that are clean is a must, especially when things are stored for long periods of time (such as coats until the next season). Promoting the Swap Shop Fund at least 2 weeks before the next application deadline is important if your school wishes to ensure the cash return on community-led projects.
- Onderwijstype: Voortgezet onderwijs
- Waarom zijn jullie hier trots op?: It has been a long dream of the Swap Shop team to have a permanent location after so many years of work. This new step also allows to visualize more to our school community the drama of fast fashion and the amount of clothing generated, then discarded (which we accept as donations) and eventually discarded again. It is important to bring this debate into the classrooms, about our real needs and our wants as consumers and the impact of our decisions in society and the environment.
- School: United World College Maastricht