Volunteering with R:evolve Recycle

Last week one of the college’s CityWorks classes did a fantastic job of sorting through a shipping container full of clothing donations, resulting in 36 full bags of clothes ready for the shop floor! 

R:evolve Recycle, one of our charity partners on the CitySA Volunteering HUB, had been collecting clothing donations during the national lockdowns when households across Glasgow were clearing out their cupboards. These donations have since been sitting in a big shipping container waiting to be sorted, and our students were on hand to help! 

The Treasure Hunt 

Students and staff members worked throughout the day to sort through the donations deciding what to do with each item. Clothes were first sorted into piles: men's clothing, women's clothing, children's clothing, and ‘other’ such as bedsheets.  

Each item was then carefully inspected by the volunteers, who were on the lookout for any tears, stains, broken zips or missing buttons. If an item was good quality and ready for resale it was packed up in a green bag - one of the 36 that we filled! If an item was still good quality but needed a stain removed or a button replaced, then it was placed in a separate bag to be given some love and attention by R:evolve’s regular volunteers. If something was not good enough to resell it was sent to be repurposed in R:evolve’s eco-haberdashery, avoiding any items going to landfill. 

Alicia, R:evolve Recycle’s Volunteer Coordinator, explained to students how sorting through clothing donations for her is like a Treasure Hunt, and we would agree; there were some very interesting finds, including lots of funky t-shirts and some jazzy sequin dresses that would be perfect for upcoming Christmas parties! 

Well done to all the students that helped with the day. We’re so pleased that you enjoyed your day out experiencing a new type of volunteering and learning all about reducing and repurposing.  

How to get involved with R:evolve Recycle 

If you’d like to know how you can volunteer with R:evolve, check out the volunteering roles that are advertised on our Volunteering HUB. If you’re passionate about sustainable fashion, sewing and fixing, or making sure that clothing finds a new home then there is a role for you.  

Check out the roles and register your interest here