Products of Change to honour second-hand September with Light Fund Charity Resale at BLE
Products of Change will be honouring Second-hand September as it prepares to bring its own celebration of circularity to Brand Licensing Europe later this month in the form of a special Light Fund Charity Resale event.
Working with the licensing industry charity and its recruited crew members, the special resale store will feature donated products, product samples, and unsold inventory across some of the biggest – and best – brands in the business.
These items will be available to purchase from the Products of Change booth (A265) throughout the three-day licensing trade show (opening its doors at London’s ExCeL on September 24th 2024) with all money raised going directly towards the Light Fund’s charity partners and charitable efforts.
Not only does the campaign aim to contribute to this year’s fundraising efforts for the industry charity but help keep unsold product in circulation, in the value stream, and out of the waste stream.
If you’re a brand interested in donating products, please email nicola@productsofchange.com
The initiative is being held this year in honour of Second-hand September, an event launched by Oxfam now in its sixth year that aims to encourage people to shop pre-loved and donate their unwanted clothes to help reduce the need for new clothes.
The garment industry alone has an enormous water footprint which in the UK comes in at a whopping eight billion cubic metres a year. That’s enough to meet the water consumption of the entire UK population for two years. Globally, it’s much larger, totalling 93 billion cubic metres of water a year, enough to fill 37 million Olympic sized swimming pools.
Analysis reveals that producing just one cotton t-shirt requires the equivalent of 5,400 standard 500ml bottles of water to make while producing one pair of jeans famously requires 16,000 bottles of water – which is enough to meet the drinking needs of 4,750 people a day.
“By recirculating our clothes – buying, wearing, and donating second-hand – we can help reduce the demand for new clothes. This in turn could help reduce the damage to our planet. What’s more, you can find amazing, stylish, and budget-friendly outfits when you shop pre-loved, while also helping to raise vital funds to help tackle poverty and inequality around the world.”
Honouring this year’s event, the Products of Change Light Fund Resale will run across all three days of Brand Licensing Europe later this month. We are encouraging brands to donate products now as are accepting any products – excluding perishables and overly bulky items – and up to 20 items per company.
Any company wishing to donate more than 20 products, are encouraged to get in touch with the Products of Change team to learn more about our partnership with Newlife Charity, a charity raising funds for children with disabilities which will be able to re-distribute old stock across its charity stores.
Donated products will need to be delivered to London’s ExCeL ahead of the show. Please do email nicola@productsofchange.com for further instructions to ensure they reach the stand at A265.
Alternatively, products can be dropped off at the Products of Change booth at BLE on set up day (Monday, 23rd September) – but please do let us know what you are donating in advance as well as the value of the items.
Ian Downes, director of Start Licensing and Trustee of The Light Fund, said: “It’s very exciting and uplifting to see BLE, Products of Change, and The Light Fund cooperating to host this event. I’m sure it will be a great fundraiser for The Light Fund and also help drive the conversation about sustainability in our industry. The Light Fund is very grateful for the industry’s ongoing support.”
