Culture, Community & Clothing Come Alive
SwapCircles is a community-led recirculation solution for good-condition clothes and accessories — reducing waste, saving hard-earned money, and building a clean, equitable future, all while proudly celebrating our cultural roots with responsibility.
Understanding a Swap
How should I use SwapCircles?
New to SwapCircles? We’ve got you covered!
- Download the app here.
- Keep Notifications turned ON. Sign in with a Google / Apple account.
- From the Communities screen, scan the QR code of your community’s swap circle.
- “Shop”
- Discover what you like from the Home feed. Tap “Bag this item” to claim an item.
- You can connect with the gifter using the in-app chat.
- Wait for a confirmation on the item, in your Barter Bag.
- “Gift”
- Navigate My Listings → List My Item to upload your item.
- You can set your preferred drop-off location and time for the item, as an additional pick up option.
- When you get notified that your item is claimed, please confirm availability from your Listings screen.
Make your Zero-Waste Event a Success
Organizing your first ethnic swap event? Here’s a checklist.
- 5 weeks before:
- The SwapCircles team will provide all digital communications for your event.
- Set up a communication group for people interested in this activity.
- The SwapCircles team can set up your circle on our platform, if this is your first one.
- 4 weeks before:
- Educate & encourage members to join and upload items to their community on SwapCircles.
- The SwapCircles team will provide additional digital content to be shared with the group.
- Support and FAQ on the SwapCircles solution is available.
- 2 weeks before:
- Direct members to begin shopping the community collection, and also upload items to share, if any.
- SwapCircles team will connect with event volunteers to ensure they are equipped to facilitate transfers at the event, using the app.
- Members whose items have been claimed, should confirm availability of the item at the event.
- This is an “RSVP” that you will make it!
- Event organizers will set aside some time during the event to allow members participate in the activity.
- During the event:
- To set up, Volunteers to will have these ready – their SwapCircles app, 2 tables and boxes.
- There will be announcements to remind members to visit the Swap booth to drop or pick up.
- Members will drop off the confirmed listed items with the Volunteer.
- Members can pick up items from the volunteer when they are notified that it is “Ready”.
- Volunteers can capture pictures with guests for social media, if possible.
- Post event:
- Volunteers share experiences with the SwapCircles Team.
- The SwapCircles team will showcase the community’s impact on social media.
- The community is encouraged to grow this culture of sharing and recirculation using SwapCircles for continued value and impact.
Community Guidelines
Please read the SwapCircles solution’s Community Policy.
- A swap circle is built on mutual respect and trust, and is private to your community.
- “A Swap is Not a Donation, It’s a Gift” to your community members.
- Payment is not expected, unless indicated and allowed by the community admin. Members trade value.
- You do not need to give something first before you claim. But eventually we desire a balance.
- Posting an item indicates this is a good condition, clean outfit that can be used by a friend.
- Please keep notifications turned on for the SwapCircles app since it helps guide your trade process.
- Please be present at the event with the QR codes on the app, to drop off or pick up your confirmed item.
- Every item transferred is final. You can eventually “repost” it to any of your communities.
Our Past Events
SwapCircles was born from hands-on experience — volunteering at and organizing grass-roots community swap events, and learning from others along the way. We bring this collective knowledge together with our passion for sustainable living to create a platform that makes swapping simple, fun, and impactful. Here’s more about us.
SwapCircles 