Thank You All for Attending Our Press Conference

On Wednesday, September 14, we held a press conference to celebrate the official opening of our Clothing Bank, attended by numerous media representatives. Among the esteemed guests were Klára Zajíčková, an analyst from the Institute of Empirical Research STEM, Věra Doušová, director of the Food Bank for Prague and Central Bohemia, Zdeněk Hřib, Mayor of Prague, Lenka Harcubová, managing director of Potex, and Eva Prokešová, communications manager of JT International.

PRESS RELEASE – CLOTHING BANK FOR PEOPLE IN NEED NOW OPEN

Prague, September 14, 2022. The non-profit organization Klub svobodných matek is opening a Clothing Bank, which will provide material aid in the form of clothing to people in need across the Czech Republic, in cooperation with regional food banks and non-profit organizations.

Currently, the Clothing Bank distributes crisis packages containing clothing to the Food Bank for Prague and Central Bohemia, Food Bank Pardubice, Food Bank Karlovy Vary, Food Bank Džbánsko, Food Bank Central, Food Bank South Bohemia, Food Bank Vysočina, and Food Bank Olomouc. In other regions, we plan to collaborate with major local non-profit organizations to ensure the maximum distribution of aid to those in need. “The Clothing Bank project builds on our long-standing experience in distributing material aid to single-parent families, which we are now expanding to all people in need nationwide due to the escalating cost of living,” explains Dana Pavlousková, director of the Klub svobodných matek. All distributed clothing is donated by the general public and companies that organize employee clothing drives or provide material donations from their assortment. Since July this year, we have established a new collaboration with POTEX s. r. o., a company engaged in container collection of used textiles. Lenka Harcubová, managing director of the company, clarifies: “Approximately 36% of the collected textiles are distributed to non-profit organizations, 59% are recycled, and 5% are non-recyclable waste. Our main activities thus focus on ecology and supporting charitable initiatives like the Clothing Bank project.”

According to a survey by the STEM agency, Czechs most often discard clothing due to wear and tear or unsuitable size, to a lesser extent due to lack of space or unsuitable appearance. Most people say they bring discarded clothing to a textile collection container (75%) or donate it to close ones or someone in their vicinity (46%). People over 60 years of age more often report donating clothing to charitable organizations compared to others.

When purchasing products, Czechs most often consider environmental impacts when buying toiletries, cosmetics (54%), and food (51%). However, when buying clothing, this aspect is not decisive for a larger portion of people (56%). 86% of people believe that individuals are responsible not only for what they buy but also for how they dispose of items. However, 67% of citizens do not consider the environmental impact of the clothing they purchase. Almost three-quarters of people agree that addressing climate change requires Czechs to fundamentally rethink their consumption. Nevertheless, for more than half (54%), the low price of clothing is more important than the conditions under which it was made. Since the survey was conducted in May, the worsening economic situation and rising inflation may have shifted these attitudes.

“Despite Czechs not yet perceiving the impacts of the fashion industry on the environment and the lives of workers, they practice sustainability simply by not shopping for clothes as frequently,” adds STEM analyst Klára Zajíčková. Czechs shop less often than once a month (70%). One-fifth shop for clothing about once a month, and only a minimal number do so about every week (2%). The most important criteria when choosing clothing are price, appearance, and material. Origin, manufacturing location, and ethical aspects are still of minor interest. Approximately half of Czechs combine shopping in second-hand stores and regular shops. 45% only buy new clothes. A small group only buys second-hand clothing (3%) or acquires it in other ways or makes it themselves (3%).

“I welcome and thank you for the initiative to establish a clothing bank in collaboration with the food bank network. Prague residents can also apply for help at the furniture bank, which the city established during this electoral period. From September, the city council plans to introduce targeted assistance by waiving fees for school clubs or after-school programs for families who objectively find themselves in difficult situations,” says Zdeněk Hřib, Mayor of Prague.

“JTI is a significant partner of the Klub svobodných matek, and supporting the Clothing Bank was a logical step. At JTI, we support consumer choice freedom, and we are pleased to be the general partner of a project that helps in three ways – it connects ecology, gives consumers the option to choose a sustainable wardrobe, and can help people save money,” adds Eva Prokešová, communications manager of JT International.

The research was prepared and conducted by the non-profit institute STEM for the non-profit organization Klub svobodných matek between May 13-30, 2022. A total of 1,249 people were surveyed online, based on a quota selection with representative representation in municipalities of various sizes, in all regions of the Czech Republic, in different groups by gender, age, and education.