That shirt you never wear, the jeans that no longer fit or the dress you haven’t reached for in years could still have plenty of life left in them.
The City of Grande Prairie is inviting residents to keep good clothing in use and out of the landfill during the annual Drop & Swap, taking place October 14 to 17 at the Ernie Radbourne Pavilion in Muskoseepi Park.
Hosted with support from Aquatera Utilities Inc. and Goodwill Industries of Alberta, the event gives residents an easy way to rethink what happens to clothing they no longer need. Clean, gently used clothing can be dropped off ahead of the event, then residents are invited to take part in a free community swap on Saturday, October 17.
More than 500 residents took part in the 2025 Drop & Swap, helping divert approximately 5,400 kilograms of clothing and textiles from the landfill.
“Drop & Swap is a great example of our community coming together to make better use of what we already have,” said City of Grande Prairie Mayor, Jackie Clayton. “Clothing takes water, energy and raw materials to produce, so giving good items another life helps make those resources go further. It also keeps clothing out of the landfill, creates space in our homes and gives anyone in the community the chance to find something new-to-you at no cost.”
Drop-off days: October 14 to 16, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day.
Community clothing swap: Saturday, October 17, from noon to 4 p.m.
Everyone is welcome and no donation is required to participate. Bring a reusable bag and browse for new-to-you clothing donated by the community.
There’s no need to be first in line. Clothing is continuously refreshed throughout the event, so residents can stop by anytime between noon and 4 p.m. and still find a wide variety of items.
Drop & Swap is about more than finding something new to wear. Extending the life of clothing helps reduce waste, keeps usable materials circulating and encourages residents to think differently about what they throw away.
“We are proud to support the Drop & Swap event again this year,” said Vaughn Bend, chief executive officer of Aquatera Utilities Inc. “This event helps keep reusable items out of the landfill while giving community members the opportunity to find items they can use and enjoy.”
Items remaining after the swap will be collected by Goodwill Industries of Alberta for reuse, resale or repurposing where possible.
"This event brings together community and celebrates achievement in environmental impact as we look to reduce the impact to our landfill," says Dale Monaghan, President and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Alberta. "We're so very proud our city will have access to used goods, where these items will create joy and happiness in a new home."
For full event details, visit cityofgp.com/dropandswap.