MONTREAL -A Montreal non-profit is making it rewarding and fun to say ‘out with the old and in with the new’ with the Swap Team.
“We have so many clothes that we’re not wearing, that we’re not using, let’s make it fun to share, let’s make this into a party,” said founder Aleece Germano, who started the idea five years ago when she set up a clothes-swapping tent at the Piknic Electronik.
Typically everybody who wants to trade threads has to pay $10 to get in and then they get credits for what they brought, which they can trade in for the clothing they like.
It encourages people to recycle and experiment.
There are 12 stores on the island of Montreal where people can bring their unwanted pants, dresses, blouses and other items, with the exception of pajamas and undies.
Failing that, a Swap Team volunteer will visit your home for a pickup.
Eddy Elsash is a fan of the concept and its organizer.
“She inspires me a lot,” he said. “She comes from a marketing background; she founded this because she thinks we’re too much of a consumerist mentality.”
Germano hopes to keep on expanding.
"We'd love to do more events across Canada, the U.S. and maybe Europe," she said.
