With Earth Day just around the corner, one local storefront is encouraging Minneapolis residents to repurpose their old clothes rather than throwing them away.
The "zero-waste" Tare Market in Northeast is set to host a clothing swap for the third year in a row. Founder Amber Haukedahl says the idea behind it came from her customers and the community.
"A lot of our customers are saying, 'what do I do with textiles?' Just something I don't wear anymore," says Haukedahl. "A pair of shoes, a pair of pants. How do I responsibly gift this to someone or swap with someone in a way that makes sense? And so we realized that Tare Market had an important role to play in helping customers and community members meet each other to facilitate something."
She added that they are asking that people do not bring items like undergarments, socks, or linens.
According to The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency more than 17 million tons of clothes are thrown away each year in Minnesota.
Its a number Haukedahl aims to put a dent in.
"We really take our responsibility to be good stewards of this earth and to help the community be as sustainable as possible very seriously," Haukedahl explains. "So we really love the chance to provide an opportunity for people to gather and do something like this."
She says visitors can bring up to fifteen items to the swap and potentially walk away with a new wardrobe.
The event Saturday is $5 a ticket and runs from 12:00-4:00 p.m. Get more information here.
ACCEPTED ITEMS
Women's, men's, and kids clothing
Accessories like purses, belts, scarves, headwear & more
Lightly worn shoes
Seasonally appropriate items preferred
NOT ACCEPTED ITEMS
Undergarments and socks
Promotional t-shirts
Linens, towels and sheets Items with rips, stains, faded, or stretched out
All unclaimed items at the end of the event will be donated to SACA Food Shelf & Thrift Store.