IMPACT REPORT Reflections on the last ten weeks
INTRODUCTION We’ve launched a new project to make second-hand school
uniform the first choice in Leeds! It's part of our work to help Leeds become a Zero Waste City by 2030.
Using good quality second hand uniform makes sense for so many reasons. It is much better for the planet. Each new item of
clothing made impacts massively on the environment. Why waste what we've already got?
New uniform is also expensive and for some families
unaffordable. Why buy new when there is so much great uniform out there?
We're working hard to make it easy for people across our city to get hold of and/or donate good quality second hand uniform.
MAP... WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT
WASTE
CARBON
4,000 tonnes of clothes end up in Leeds' black bins every year. School uniforms are contributing to this problem.
122,000 KG CO2e could be saved if every new school starter in Leeds this year had just one second-hand school shirt or blouse.
WATER
COST
2,700 litres ÂŁ348.55 of water to make a is the average spent T shirt - that's on school uniform enough drinking items every year water for one person for three years!
AFFORDABILITY 29,660 children under 16 living in low income families in Leeds
OBJECTIVES
01
Make second-hand school uniform first choice for Leeds
02
Reduce the environmental impact of school uniform by promoting reuse
03
Help families to save money from the high cost of school uniform
04
Inspire new uniform reuse schemes to be set up in Leeds and beyond
WHAT WE HAVE DONE SO FAR 01
02
Created a map of current uniform reuse projects including full details and how to access them. Over 90 so far! Identified gaps in uniform reuse schemes across the city, particularly in areas of deprivation.
03
Produced an ‘Inspiration Guide’ detailing the different ways to run a school uniform reuse project. Encouraging new schemes to set up by working with local organisations and parents.
04
Set up a Facebook group to help people share their experiences, learn from and inspire each other to set up schemes, as well as to donate/acquire uniform.
05
Continue to share the environmental impacts of school uniform and volumes of clothing currently wasted in our city via local media and on social media.
MAP OF SCHEMES OVER 90 SCHEMES 12 NEW SCHEMES TWO-THIRDS
mapped and more being set up and added each week
have been set up in the 10 weeks since the project launched
of schools are now covered by a uniform reuse scheme
OVER 10,000 VIEWS
of the map
SEARCHABLE DATABASE
containing information about all of the schools in Leeds,Â
local reuse schemes and school uniform requirements
IMPACT OF UNIFORM REUSE SCHEMES In just 10 weeks, we estimate that reused, saving roughly:
OVER 3,000
items have been
600 KG POTENTIAL TEXTILE WASTE Assuming each item weighs roughly 200g
10,800 KG CO2E
Equivalent to the CO2 that would be produced from driving around the world 2.3 times
8.1 MILLION LITRES OF WATER
Assuming it takes 2,700 litres of water to make a T shirt
Over £50,000
Assuming the average uniform item cost from the Department for Education 'Cost of School Uniform' report
SOCIAL MEDIA IMPACT
At the start of the 10-week campaign we launched the 'Leeds School Uniform Exchange' Facebook group, which now has over:
1.3K MEMBERS 333 POSTS 2.1K ENGAGEMENTS
(likes, comments or shares)
During the 10-week campaign on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, we have also seen a:
20% INCREASE IN FOLLOWERS across all channels up to nearly 11k followers
REACH OF OVER 450,000 PEOPLE on posts relating to school uniform
TV BBC Look North - 21 June - Gill Coupland from Zero Waste Leeds featured alongside Fresh Start Community Projects on BBC Look North talking about the school uniform reuse project
MEDIA COVERAGE
RADIO BBC Radio Leeds - 6 August - LS26 School Uniform Scheme Radio Aire - 18 August - Leeds School Uniform Exchange BBC Radio Leeds - 3 September - Leeds School Uniform Exchange
NEWSPAPERS Yorkshire Evening Post - 15 July - School uniform sharing campaign launched to help struggling families in Leeds Yorkshire Evening Post - 4 August - Leeds mum sets up free school uniform scheme to cut down on waste Yorkshire Evening Post - 20 August - Charity urges parents to use second hand uniform as cost of clothing school children in Leeds is estimated at staggering £6m Leeds Live - 3 September - How parents can save a fortune on school uniform in Leeds with new city-wide scheme
WHO WE ENGAGED WITH COMMUNITY GROUPS Education Aid Tingley and West Ardsley Uniform Exchange LS26 School Uniform Scheme Pudsey Community Project Fresh Start Community Projects Uniform 4 All North West Leeds The Tribe Youth Group LS14 Trust Leeds Inner West Green Uniform Exchange Hunslet Club LS12 Uniform Scheme
SCHOOLS, PARENTS AND TEACHERS LOCAL COUNCILLORS
WHAT PEOPLE SAIDÂ
FUNDERS We would like to say a massive thank you to Leeds City Council and Leeds Community Foundation's Jimbo's Fund for supporting Leeds School Uniform Exchange.
WHAT NEXT? With more funding, we'd like to: Build a web platform to make it even easier for people, community groups, schools to access good quality second hand uniform, a place to share 'how to' guides for setting up a scheme and the environmental and social impacts of the project.
Set up a biennial Big Leeds School Uniform Giveaway - city wide pop-up events to promote second-hand uniform.