On August 27, 2024, the Universiti Malaya Sustainable Development Centre (UMSDC) , in collaboration with the Universiti Malaya Zero Waste Campaign (UMZWC), hosted its first ever campus-wide clothes swap program at the Raja Dr. Nazrin Shah Residential College (KK12) cafeteria. The initiative aims to raise awareness about upcycling, which involves transforming or repurposing old products into new, usable items.
This event featured a clothes swap where members of the Universiti Malaya community could exchange their old garments—such as clothes, pants, skirts, and children's apparel—with other members of the community who donated their old garments.
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According to SWCorp and KlothCares, 31 per cent or 432,901 metric tonnes of total waste generated in Malaysia in 2021 were fabric waste. Textile waste remains a significant issue, with textile waste constituting about 5% of landfill content and the textile industry generating billions of tonnes of greenhouse gasses annually. To tackle this problem, the community is encouraged to adopt sustainable practices, including the principles of 3R that is REDUCE, REUSE, and RECYCLE.
The event promoted these principles by urging participants to REDUCE their purchase of new clothes, REUSE old garments by donating them, and RECYCLE unwanted items using the eight recycling bins for used clothes and shoes placed across the UM campus.
The event was a tremendous success, with community members donating numerous bags of old clothes from all ranges of clothes for adults and childrens. The overwhelming generosity meant that attendees could take items for free. Around 200 members of the public, canteen workers, students, and staff participated, contributing various items, including traditional clothing like Baju Kurung and Baju Melayu, which are often less worn except during special occasions. Many donated items still had their price tags attached, with some participants explaining that they had purchased them online but found the sizes unsuitable. This upcycling initiative highlighted the value in repurposing items and reinforced the notion that "one man’s trash is another man’s treasure." The program hopes to foster a culture of donating, upcycling and sustainable living within the community.
Building on this success, we are excited to announce that the clothes swap program will be held again in the upcoming semester. We look forward to welcoming even more participants so lookout on UMSDC social media for future updates.