Back to school: Make big savings on school uniform

School uniform is expensive.

No sooner have you decked your child out at the start of term, *you blink*, and they’ve grown out of everything!

Looking for a way to save? There are options available that can help lower costs- both on your pocket and the environment.

Second time savings

There are many sites available where you can pick up preloved school uniform. They are often still in good condition, but much less expensive.

Some great places to look are:

• Facebook marketplace
• Gumtree
• Uniformly
• Grown out of it
• Old school uniform
• Local charity shops
• Ebay (also great for preloved coats, bags, lunch boxes and other essentials)

Have you considered selling old school uniforms on these sites? It’s surprisingly easy to do, will reduce waste and will earn you money that could be put towards another set.

Get scheming

It’s worth asking at your child’s school if they have a take back scheme, school uniform exchange or second-hand shop. They are great ways to ensure usable clothes are not wasted and can benefit both you and other families.

If there isn’t one, could you help start an initiative?

Sites are also available to support this, where the funds are funnelled back into your designated school.

Fix up, look sharp!

We understand that kids and teenagers can sometimes not be the best at looking after their clothes! For wear and tear, like if a blazer has a rip, or you have a split trouser seam- rather than forking out for new, have you considered giving a repair a go yourself?

We know it might seem daunting but think of the extra money in your pocket! There are so many tips and tricks available online, or you can even follow step by step videos. What have you got to lose?! If you don’t succeed, you haven’t wasted anything and the unusable items can be simply taken to one of our reuse and recycle centres or on- street textiles collection banks.

Do you have any circular schemes that can help provide school uniform to north London pupils? Do you have a way to save good uniform from going to waste? Let us know, we would love to share! 

To find out more about textile recycling, visit our textile page here