There's no denying it, running a fashion brand comes with waste. Even when you're trying to make conscious choices, working with natural fibres, producing in smaller quantities and avoiding unnecessary overproduction, there's always a trade-off. There are fabrics we source but don't end up using, samples we make that never go into production, and then there's the reality that eventually some of the clothes we create may end up in landfill too.
The truth is, the most "sustainable" thing we could probably do would be not to run a fashion brand at all. But if we're going to make clothes, the question becomes: how can we do it in a way that minimises our waste and makes the most of what we already have?
For us, it's not about claiming to be perfect, greenwashing, or pretending to be 100% sustainable. It's about being conscious of our impact, taking responsibility for it, and constantly looking for ways to do things a little better. We produce our styles in limited quantities and often trial new designs before committing to larger production runs. We turn leftover fabric into sarongs, scrunchies and shopping bags wherever we can, and we offset the carbon emissions from the orders we ship. But I kept coming back to the same question: what else could we do?
Around the same time, I was looking at my own wardrobe and realised just how many clothes I had that I simply wasn't wearing anymore, yet I didn't want to throw them away and have them end up in the landfill. There was nothing wrong with them, they just didn’t bring me joy anymore. At the same time, we had old Chara Holiday samples and pieces from past collections that still had so much life left in them.
And that's where the idea for CH Circular started.
The idea is really simple. Bring your clean, pre-loved clothing, blankets and toys into one of our Chara Holiday stores and we'll give you shopping credit for every kilogram you donate. We'll then work with local charities, organisations and community partners across Bali to get those items to people who need them most.
Your wardrobe gets a little lighter, your clothes get another life, someone else gets something they need, and together we keep perfectly wearable clothing out of landfill for a little longer. A little bit of good all round.
Our First CH Circular Donation: SOS Children's Village Bali
Before we officially launched CH Circular in store, we wanted to start with our own wardrobes. Our team gathered clothing from home along with old Chara Holiday samples and pieces from past collections, and then we had to decide where our first donation should go.
Our team chose SOS Children's Village Bali.
SOS Children's Village provides a family-like environment for children who, for different reasons, aren't able to live with their biological families. Children live within a supportive community alongside dedicated caregivers, with access to care, education and a stable place to grow up.
When we reached out, we told them we'd love our first clothing donation to support the children and caregivers living at the village. But we also didn't want to just turn up with a pile of things we thought they might need. So we asked them, what do you actually need?
They sent us a list, and alongside all of the clothing we'd collected, we went out and got the things they'd specifically asked for too, like shoes, bags and supplies for school. On Saturday, we packed everything up and headed to the village together. It was our first time visiting and it was a really special experience. We got to meet the children and caregivers who live there, spend some time together, and see exactly where our first CH Circular donation was going.
We talk a lot about textile waste in fashion, but sometimes we forget that what we consider waste can still have so much value to someone else. A Chara Holiday sample we no longer need can be worn and loved again. A dress that's been sitting untouched in your wardrobe for a year, waiting for that maybe one day occasion, can bring someone else joy time and time again.
A child's jacket that's been outgrown can keep another child warm. And for families who have other expenses to think about, receiving clothing they need can mean spending a little less on one essential and having more available for another. At the same time, every garment that continues to be worn is one less piece potentially heading to the landfill but instead bringing someone else joy.
Joy has always been at the heart of Chara Holiday. It's something we want people to feel when they walk into our stores, when they find something they love, and in the way we show up for the people and communities around us. And CH Circular gives that idea a whole new meaning.
We all have pieces in our wardrobes that once brought us joy but, for whatever reason, don't anymore. Maybe your style has changed, maybe they don't fit, or maybe they've been waiting for that one day occasion that somehow never comes. But that doesn't mean their story has to end there. What no longer brings you joy could bring so much joy to someone else.
That's what really clicked for us during our visit to SOS Children's Village. Things that had been sitting unused in our wardrobes suddenly had a purpose again. There's joy in giving, joy in receiving, and something pretty special about knowing that something you once loved gets to be loved all over again.
That's the kind of circularity we want to create with CH Circular.
How You Can Get Involved
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Bring your clean, pre-loved items into any Chara Holiday store.
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We'll weigh your donation.
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You'll receive Chara Holiday shopping credit for every kilogram donated.
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We'll work with our local partners to get your donations to people and communities across Bali who can use them.
What We Accept
We're happy to accept clothing for women, men, children and babies, as long as everything is clean, freshly washed, wearable and in good condition.
You can donate:
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T-shirts
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Shirts and blouses
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Dresses
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Long pants
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Shorts
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Jackets and hoodies
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Baby and children's clothing
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Slippers and shoes
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Hats
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Blankets
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Children's toys
What We Don't Accept
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Dirty or unwashed items
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Torn or heavily damaged clothing
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Wet or mouldy items
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Used swimwear, unless new with tags
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Used underwear, unless new with tags
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Used socks, unless new with tags
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Broken shoes or slippers
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Broken toys
A good rule to follow is simple: if you wouldn't feel comfortable giving it to a friend, please don't put it in the donation bag.
This Is Just the Beginning
Our visit to SOS Children's Village Bali was our first CH Circular donation, but it definitely won't be our last.
As your donations start coming into our stores, we'll continue finding local organisations and communities where the things you no longer need can genuinely be useful.
And we'll share those stories with you here too, because once you hand over your donation, we want you to see where this little circular journey can lead, who your pieces reach, and how much joy you helped pass on.
This one started with our wardrobes.The next one starts with yours.
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