I've written in the past about used clothes (or as my mother used to correct me in the past, calling them "pre-loved fashions") and their connection to green living. 

If you have children, no doubt you would know just how fast they grow out of their gear - then its back to the store to buy more and you're stuck with a pile of clothing you don't need. You can always give those items away of course, but what if you could get good quality clothing for free by swapping what you have?

Meg, the founder of Peace. Love. Swap, recently wrote to me about a great idea she's set in motion.

The group runs ongoing "Kid's Swaps", where moms get together with other moms to recycle (exchange) their kid's stuff (ages 0-14 and maternity). 

After the swaps, the groups donates the majority of leftover items to local charities that benefit families in need. 

Meg says they already provide this event for moms in several areas of Northern California and there's been a ton of interest.

Meg hates how out of control consumption has become and wants to see more people trading & using second-hand stuff. Meg believes moms want and need an event like this close to home, and it's her goal to try and help them get one started wherever they live. 

How do the swaps work? Bring all your clean, gently used items that you want to get rid of. It's not confined to clothes either; you can bring toys, movies, strollers, highchairs, bouncy seats and much more. While you're at the swaps, you can take what you want from other moms who have brought stuff along. 

It's that simple - no tagging or pricing your stuff and no registration forms. There's just a $5 fee to attend that goes towards the running of the swap.

You can learn more about Peace. Love. Swap concept here, and an important page to read is the FAQ here.

If you want to start your own Peace. Love. Swap ongoing event in your community? Click here to find out more (PDF).

Related:

Learn more how used clothes can help reduce environmental impact.