A Scots domestic abuse survivor has launched a charity to turn clothing set for landfill into tailored wardrobes for women in crisis. Rachael Bews, from Ross-shire, set up the ALICAS project, which has already distributed 100 clothing parcels and diverted more than 2000 garments from waste in a hugely successful pilot scheme.
Now Rachael, who herself escaped from an abusive relationship when she was a teenager and received help from a women’s aid group in the Highlands, wants to help more survivors in need – and treat them with dignity. It comes as 300,000 tons of clothes are taken to landfill in the UK every year, while British wardrobes hold an estimated 1.6million unworn items.
Rachael said her charity aims to “end the shame” for people in a clothing crisis after fleeing domestic violence. And she’s calling on other clothing brands currently discarding their surplus stock to help out – as well as help to save the planet.
Rachael told the Record: “After seeing the poor quality of donations in refuge firsthand, I made it my mission to do better. It’s not thought or care that’s lacking in these cases – it’s the time and resources to do it differently, and that’s where ALICAS, which stands for Ali’s coats and shoes, comes in.
“It was a lady named Ali who told me that a good coat and pair of shoes were key to rebuilding her life – a passing comment that changed my life forever.”
Having gone to Italy when she was 18 one summer to study, Rachael was forced to flee the country and return to her parents’ Ross-shire home near Inverness after a romantic relationship turned abusive. It was that experience – and witnessing the bin bags of clothes in a local women’s refuge – that helped to inspire the ALICAS initiative.
One in three women globally experience gender-related abuse in their lifetime. Rachael, now 32, added: “Most women escaping abuse do so with little or no belongings and rely on donations as they rebuild their lives. Well-meaning donations are often passed on unwashed, in poor condition and in the bin bags they came in – further eroding self-esteem.”
ALICAS’ approach is to provide bespoke, tailored clothing parcels containing a “capsule wardrobe” to women suited to each individual’s size, style and religious or cultural needs. This provides “direct social impact to people in crisis”, the charity says.
The parcels contain donations from designers including Martin Rose and other fashion brands. Rachael continued: “The market for sustainable clothing is growing rapidly, with rising consumer interest in ethical practices. At the same time, 300,000 tons of clothes go to landfills each year in the UK. Sending perfectly good clothes to landfills must stop, and ALICAS provides a more sustainable alternative while also delivering a much-needed service.
“We are excited to be supported by designer Martin Rose, and we are calling on other fashion brands to help us give their surplus stock a new lease of life.” This “garment repurposing service” is the charitable arm of ALICAS, whose primary revenue stream is the sale of sustainably produced wardrobe staples, which it also donates to the parcels.
Along with fuel and farming, fashion is one of the most polluting industries in the globe – contributing around 10 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions. Staggeringly, some 30 per cent of clothes manufactured and shipped are never sold and often end up in landfill – a mind-boggling 26billion items of clothing each year.
We previously told how our addiction to fast fashion has led to shocking clothing wastelands piling up in countries like Ghana in Africa. For more information about ALICAS, visit www.alicas.love.
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