Now celebrating 25 years as London’s leading fashion charity, Traid has been a pioneer of second-hand fashion and a driving force in creating a more sustainable industry. From reusing garments to funding global projects, Traid is dedicated to reducing waste, extending the life of clothing, and improving conditions for the people who make our clothes.

Since 1999, Traid has put 233 million garments back into use, saving over 628,000 tonnes of CO₂ and more than 106 million cubic metres of water. Every item donated helps prevent textiles from going to landfill while raising funds for projects that support garment workers, organic cotton farmers, and their communities across more than 30 countries.

Chief Executive Maria Chenoweth explains: “We’ve always believed that second-hand should be our first choice. There’s always new life in old clothes, and we’ll do everything we can to find it. This is an invitation to help us change fashion for the better.”

Why partner with Traid

Traid partners with brands, retailers, and organisations that share its mission to make fashion fairer and more sustainable. By working together, partners can:

• Reduce textile waste through reuse and recycling schemes.
• Engage customers in circular initiatives such as clothing donation drives, repair workshops and upcycling collaborations.
• Create meaningful impact by funding education, organic farming and workers’ rights projects globally.
• Enhance brand credibility through visible, measurable sustainability action.
• With a strong reputation as London’s most trusted second-hand charity retailer, Traid offers proven expertise, tangible results and creative collaboration opportunities, from shop window takeovers to social campaigns and in-store events.

Partnership success stories

Traid’s collaborations show how creative partnerships can inspire change and deliver measurable results:

• TOAST: Traid supports TOAST’s Circle initiatives by collecting garments for resale and hosting joint repair workshops. Since 2023, this partnership has saved 987 kg of clothing, prevented 8.3 tonnes of CO₂e, and raised £8,563 for Traid’s partner project READ in India.
• Westfield: Permanent clothing banks at Westfield London and Stratford have diverted 15,580 kg of textiles from landfill, while joint events such as the Good Festival have engaged shoppers through repair and upcycling activities.
• Lime Bikes: Together with upcycling designer Lydia Bolton, Traid transformed unsellable garments into the Re-Cycle Collection: cycle-friendly streetwear showcased on a Camden cycle-lane catwalk, celebrating creativity and sustainable travel.
• Camden Town Brewery: At the Camden Chilly TRAID Off event, the public swapped preloved clothes for Camden’s Cold IPA. The campaign raised awareness about the 300,000 tonnes of clothing discarded annually in the UK and highlighted the potential for everyday action against waste.

How brands and retailers can collaborate

Traid offers a wide range of activation opportunities for brand partners, including:

• Clothing donation schemes and permanent collection points
• Repair and upcycling workshops hosted in stores or community spaces
• Shop window and digital storytelling across 12 London stores
• Social media and mailing campaigns reaching over 50,000 engaged supporters
• Pop-up collaborations and product launches promoting circular fashion
• By partnering with Traid, brands can engage customers in sustainability, strengthen community ties and help fund projects that transform lives in fashion supply chains around the world.

Deadstock and surplus clothing

Traid partners with retailers to tackle fashion’s deadstock problem, preventing new, unsold items from being sent to landfill or incinerated by putting them back into use through its UK charity shops.

With 26 years of experience, Traid offers practical solutions for surplus stock, including free collection, de-labelling where needed and transparent reporting on volumes collected, CO₂ savings and water conserved.

By donating surplus items, brands can:

• Eliminate waste from deadstock inventory

• Support garment workers and their families through funded global projects

• Contribute to cutting down the 10,000 items of clothing sent to landfill every five minutes in the UK

All profits from resale fund initiatives improving working conditions, supporting organic cotton farming, and providing childcare for garment workers’ children.

Get in touch

To explore partnership opportunities ,contact Jose Baladron, Head of Partnerships via email. jose@traid.org.uk

VISIT THE TRAID WEBSITE

Traid is a UKFT member. Not yet a member?

JOIN TODAY