Promoting Sustainable Fashion

Oxfam promotes the circular economy and sustainable fashion by extending the life of used clothing.

The circular economy

In Ireland, it is estimated that 63,000 tonnes of textiles end up in the landfill annually.

The mass production of ‘fast fashion’ is depleting natural resources, polluting the environment and contributing to climate change, putting many of the world’s poorest people at risk. It is estimated that the textiles industry accounts for more carbon emissions than international aviation and shipping combined. However, the circular economy – in which waste is transformed into raw materials for new products – offers a vital solution to keeping clothing in use for longer, conserving resources and protecting the climate.

Why Partner With Oxfam?

Oxfam is a market leader in the provision of excess stock solutions that are both sustainable and transparent, giving companies full oversight of how their stock is managed and re distributed.

The sustainable solutions offered by Oxfam not only support organisational circular economy goals but also support Oxfam Ireland’s programme work in tackling the root causes of poverty and injustice in the communities where we work.

If a key priority for your business is to reduce negative environmental impact then Oxfam Ireland offer an ethical and transparent stock solution that is tailored to meet your organisations specific requirements. By collaborating with Oxfam, manufacturers and retailers increase their collective impact and influence by extending the life of product and diverting from landfill and/or incineration.

Oxfam offer a free collection service for excess stock across the Island of Ireland and most European countries. All stock received into our 22,000 foot warehouse is processed securely and within the guidelines agreed prior to collection. This includes processing of outer and inner packaging and de-branding of the stock.

Also, your employees and occupiers can donate their pre-loved clothes to Oxfam Ireland allowing us to create meaningful change in the lives of others.

Measuring Results

Oxfam Sustainable Solutions for excess stock facilitates Corporate Social and Responsibility planning. Key Performance Metrics are provided for all excess stock received allowing organisations to increase the opportunity to drive business forward with sustainable and progressive business practice.

Full traceability through the Oxfam Ireland ‘s supply chain allows for periodic reporting on all excess stock including weight and item counts, revenue generation and impact.

For a confidential conversation of how Oxfam can add value to organisational CSR goals please contact Elaine White (Island of Ireland) or Niamh Doherty (Europe). Details provided below.

Circular Economy and Sustainable Fashion

Oxfam promotes the circular economy and sustainable fashion by extending the life of used clothing through reuse, re-sale or recycling, helping to close the loop on clothing waste and raise funds to end poverty. We invite consumers to donate unwanted clothing through our 46 shops across the island of Ireland, and promote ‘pre-loved’ clothing as desirable and sustainable, through events such as Fashion Relief and celebrity donations.

Partnering with major companies, including M&S, allows us to develop innovative circular solutions, offer a zero-waste option for excess stock, and enable more people to donate clothing through take-back schemes, textile banks and workplace donation points.

Download our Corporate Engagement Brochure

Our Shops

For over six decades, Oxfam’s shops across the island of Ireland have provided the public with a place to recycle their pre-loved goods, diverting them from landfill and reducing their carbon footprint. People who buy or donate through our shops are not only helping to protect the planet, they are also helping the world’s poorest people to lift themselves out of poverty.

Oxfam Ireland has 46 shops across the island, supported by more than 1,000 volunteers. Our fashion stores are stocked with a range of pre-loved and vintage clothes and accessories, with each sale raisings funds for Oxfam’s life-saving development and humanitarian work.

4Good

Oxfam’s 4Good shops sell a range of brand-new fashion accessories and jewellery for women, men and children, including hair accessories, sunglasses, bags, purses, mobile phone accessories and homewares. All the items for sale in the store have been generously donated free of charge to Oxfam Ireland, with profits going to support our worldwide in emergency response, long-term development and campaigning, including projects with women and girls.

The sustainable business model of our 4 GOOD stores gives new life to stock which could otherwise be destined for recycling or landfill. Furthermore, this innovative, forward-thinking business model serves to bolster the donating retailer’s corporate social responsibility and sustainability strategies.

Pop-Up Shops

Shopping second-hand is one way that the public can leave a lighter footprint on the planet while sending a message to retailers that it is their responsibility to slow down the rate of fast fashion. Last year, Lorraine Keane’s Fashion Relief with Oxfam opened a Pop-Up shop in the Frascati Centre, Blackrock, Co. Dublin. It has rail after rail of brand-new and pre-loved donated clothes, shoes and accessories, offering a more sustainable way to shop, while also supporting Oxfam’s global work to beat poverty.

Our online Tech Shop

Oxfam’s newest arrival is the Oxfam Tech Shop. Here shoppers will find a wide range of the latest Tech from phones, audio, computing, gaming and much more. Each month 100s of new products are added. Oxfam Tech offers customers Amazing deals and Big Discounts with up to 40% of RRPs. Just click below to see all the great deals on our Tech Shop because when it is gone, it really is gone!

Oxfam Tech Shop

Second Hand September

Millions of items of clothing end up in landfills across the country every year – that means tens of thousands of tonnes of textiles decomposing in the ground, destroying the environment. Throwaway fashion is putting increasing pressure on our planet and people – it’s unsustainable.

But there’s something people can do to help. They can set themselves a personal challenge and join us for Second Hand September as we say yes to pre-loved clothes by giving them a new lease of life! We launched #SecondHandSeptember in 2019, amid growing demand from shoppers wanting more sustainable and ethical clothing and the campaign has already been hugely successful.

Look back at last year's campaign

Oxfam Bridal

Ninety percent of wedding dresses in stock in Oxfam’s Bridal Rooms are brand new and have been gifted by designers and boutiques. Our two Bridal Boutiques in Dublin and Bangor, Northern Ireland, sell new and pre-loved wedding dresses and accessories, with the funds raised supporting communities affected by poverty and disaster.

Oxfam Bridal

Visit Oxfam Bridal

Home

Oxfam’s Home stores in Dublin and Belfast stock an extensive selection of furniture, antiques, tableware, ceramics, artwork, electrical goods, homewares and fabrics. This enables homeowners to transform their homes for less while breathing new life into second-hand goods, and helping to fund our vital work around the world.

Visit Oxfam Home

Key Contacts

Elaine White

Specialising in the FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) sector, Elaine has amassed over 25 years working with Irish, UK and European retailers. Elaine is skilled in negotiation, consumer insight, business/commercial planning and consumer products in fashion, food and homewares.

Elaine spent the early part of her career working on new product development and business growth in food manufacturing; however, driven by a passion for sustainability, she moved sectors to work with the award-winning environmental textile company Easydry Ltd.

Now Stock Sustainability Manager with Oxfam Ireland, Elaine’s role continues to amplify sustainability as a key business driver. Retailers that work and partner with Oxfam Ireland understand that both customers and employees are more conscious of how companies not only source their products, but how these products impact the environment and local communities.

Oxfam Ireland offers ethical and transparent stock solutions tailored to meet your requirements if a key priority for your business is to reduce its negative environmental and social impacts. This not only enables your business to reduce its carbon footprint, but also facilitates your future corporate social responsibility planning.

By working with Elaine, retailers have an increased opportunity to drive their business forward with sustainable and progressive business practices.

You can reach Elaine at elaine.white@oxfam.org or on 0044 7989 946332

Nimah Doherty

Niamh has over 25 years’ experience in market research and business development across many European countries, in sectors ranging from homeware and fashion, to food and drink. Back in 2005, she started a fact-finding mission with Oxfam Ireland to identify potential textile donors in the European fashion retail sector.

Fashion retailing has changed dramatically since then, as has Oxfam Ireland’s textile sustainability journey. Niamh has accompanied the organisation on a journey that has led to Oxfam Ireland becoming a partner in the sustainability strategy of key European fashion retailers. She has enabled the environment for change in corporate attitudes to fashion waste, helping to extend the lifecycle of millions of fashion products, and assisting Oxfam Ireland to deliver increased circularity in the textiles sector. Having lived and worked in France, Germany and Italy over the years, Niamh has developed a strong network of corporate partnerships throughout continental Europe, including C&A, Beeline, Zara, Miroglio and Calzedonia. She has been instrumental in the development of the 4Good sustainable fashion brand, ultimately raising funds for Oxfam Ireland’s development work overseas.

Niamh believes that in order to solve issues of inequality, poverty and climate change, organisations like Oxfam must align with good business to create value that benefits all stakeholders at all levels of the supply chain.

For all enquiries relating to participation in the 4Good sustainable fashion brand, corporate stock donations, retail fashion circularity, and fashion take-back schemes in continental Europe, please contact Niamh at niamh.doherty@oxfam.org or on +39 334 3821756