Canary Wharf has announced the launch of its new Swap Station for Earth Day – a clothes donation bank that lets shoppers swap their old clothes for shopping vouchers from a range of retailers in the malls.

The striking installation will sit in Jubilee Place mall and has been designed by the UK’s leading denim artist Ian Berry. Berry will transform the donated denim jeans, jackets and accessories into a piece of exclusive new art that will hang in the mall, with the new artwork unveiled in June to coincide with World Environment Day.

The Swap Station opens to the public for a week from Wednesday 20th April. In return for their old clothes, shoppers will be rewarded with a voucher redeemable at selected stores across Canary Wharf.

Any clothes not used for the new artwork will be donated to Love Not Landfill, a non-profit campaign to encourage fast fashion fans to buy second-hand, swap, recycle and give to charity.

More than 300,000 tonnes of clothing end up in landfill each year in the UK[1] , many items of which could be re-worn or recycled. The Swap Station will give a new lease of life to the clothes donated and forms part of Canary Wharf’s ongoing investment in public art and sustainability. Berry’s final piece will join over 110 permanent works by over 50 international artists currently around the Estate, making Canary Wharf a rich tapestry of diverse artwork.

Poplar-based artist Berry is world renowned for his work turning old denim into striking visualisations, notably creating celebrity portraits including Debbie Harry and Georgio Armani. He is known for intricate works depicting real life in collections including Behind Closed Doors and My Beautiful Launderette in 2016 and Hotel California in 2019.

Artist Ian Berry said: “It’s brilliant to be working on a project so close to home which combines art, sustainability and the local community at Canary Wharf. Recycling denim is a fantastic medium for seeing the world and creating a piece from the donated Swap Station clothes to be displayed in Canary Wharf is extremely exciting. I strongly encourage the public to donate any unwanted clothing and watch their items be transformed into art.”

Canary Wharf is the UK’s leading sustainable developer and the Swap Station campaign forms part of Canary Wharf’s wider Conscious Consumer initiative, which encourages visitors to live, eat and shop locally through sustainable retail choices, refillable water stations, transport links, extensive green spaces and plastic-free lunch spots.

Home to an extensive art collection and with sustainability at its core, Canary Wharf is a 24/7 city where people can work, live and thrive and enjoy all the benefits; great transport links, access to green spaces and waterside living; and a huge range of activities and amenities.