The City of Grande Prairie is hosting the return of Drop & Swap, a free clothing exchange that helps reduce waste, with support from Aquatera Utilities Inc. and Goodwill Industries of Alberta.

At the Drop & Swap, residents can donate clean, good-condition clothing to give it a second life or simply come on event day to shop the community collection for free.

This year’s event takes place Saturday, October 4, ahead of Canada’s Waste Reduction Week, part of Circular Economy Month in October. The initiative reflects the City’s focus on environmental stewardship by reducing textile waste and encouraging residents to rethink how clothing is reused.

Event Details
Drop off your clean, previously loved clothing at the Ernie Radbourne Pavilion in Muskoseepi Park during the collection days. The pavilion will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on October 1, 2 and 3 to accept contributions.

The swap runs Saturday, October 4 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., giving participants the chance to browse and take home new-to-you items. The event is open to everyone and there is no requirement to donate items to join in. Shoppers are encouraged to bring a reusable bag for their finds.

"The Drop & Swap is a wonderful way for residents to take meaningful action for the environment while connecting with their neighbours," said City of Grande Prairie Mayor, Jackie Clayton. "By giving pre-loved clothing a new home, we not only reduce landfill waste but also take a simple, powerful step toward a more sustainable and caring community. I encourage everyone to join us in making this year’s event another great success."

"Aquatera Utilities Inc. is proud to support the Drop & Swap, an initiative that truly reflects the values of sustainability and community connection," said Vaughn Bend, Chief Executive Officer of Aquatera Utilities Inc. "Working alongside the City of Grande Prairie and Goodwill Industries of Alberta, we’re proud to enable opportunities that reduce textile waste and make great clothes accessible to our style conscious community."

“Reusing an item is the best way to recycle, as it reduces the environmental impact and the Drop & Swap helps promote this mindset,” says Dale Monaghan, President and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Alberta. “At Goodwill, we’re proud to support our community, all while helping create a destination for people to support our mission of helping those with disabilities with meaningful employment, through the donation of gently-used household items.”

The 2024 Drop & Swap event saw over 4500 kilograms of clothing donated by the community, with nearly all these items swapped and reused by attendees.

Any items left after the swap will be collected by Goodwill Industries of Alberta and taken to their Grande Prairie facility to be sold or repurposed. Torn or stained materials are reused as stuffing for products or made into rags for the agricultural industry, ensuring nothing goes to waste.
For more information on the Drop & Swap event, please visit cityofgp.com/dropandswap.

Media release provided by City of Grande Prairie