31 October 2025
Parents for Climate North Sydney will be hosting its second Kids Clothes Swap at The Coal Loader Centre for Sustainability in Waverton, Sunday 2nd November 2:30pm-4pm. The initiative is aimed at combating fast fashion and promoting environmentally sustainable choices within the community.
Locals are encouraged to bring up to 10 good quality clothing items suitable for warmer, summer weather to swap with other participants. All are welcome to pick up clothes, including people who don’t bring any garments.
Cammeray local Katherine Davies is the organiser and a member of Parents for Climate. She said the clothes swap concept was inspired by the Blue Mountains chapter of the group, which has been running similar events for four years. Davies highlighted the environmental impact of clothing waste, noting that the manufacturing process creates carbon emissions and also uses a lot of water.
“And then when those items come to the end of their life… they go to landfill, and obviously you get greenhouse gases from a landfill,” she said.She also pointed out the particular relevance of the event for children’s clothes, which are quickly outgrown.
The first winter clothes swap earlier this year was a success, with around 30 families attending. “Everyone who came went away with something, and everyone was very grateful for us running it,” Davies remarked. At that event they managed to rehome 50kg of clothes.
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Any clothes that aren’t swapped can be donated to the Dandelion Foundation. Garments that aren’t suitable for donation or swapped can be recycled using the council’s Recycle Smart service or donated to Vinnies, which converts used textiles to new products such as towels, cushions and mats.
Parents for Climate welcomes anyone to join, regardless of whether they are a parent. “You don’t have to be a parent and be a grandparent. We’ve got people who aren’t parents, but they just want to be involved,” Davies told the Sun. The group also works on initiatives such as drafting guides for schools to help parent associations make more sustainable choices for their events.