On the evening of August 26, a secondhand goods recycling market themed "Start with Clothes · Write a New Life for Books" drew many residents to the square of Minchun Green Space Park in Caolu Town, Pudong New Area, Shanghai. Auntie Sun queued up with two large bags of old clothes to have them weighed, and in return received a succulent plant and some extra cash. The event was guided by the greening and city appearance department of Pudong New Area, hosted by the Caolu Town government, and organized by the town-affiliated "Hushang Recycling" enterprise Shanghai Xianmi Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd., aiming to promote the recycling of old clothes and books in a relaxed and fun way.

Launched on August 16, the campaign saw seven subdistricts and towns—Weifang Xincun, Nanmatou Road, Zhoujiadu, Xinchang, Yangjing, Dongming Road and Caolu—take turns hosting 10 markets over two weeks, with Caolu holding three in a row. The sites featured science exhibition boards, recycling booths, game corners and open-air movies, allowing residents to drop off their old items while enjoying a cool evening. Old clothes were settled on the spot by weight, while old books circulated through a "book-for-book" exchange, helping "idle books" find new owners. Children took part in waste-sorting shooting games and ring-toss games, and could earn a "Green Public Welfare Star" for their charitable donations. Carbon inclusion accounts were also promoted on site, with each future drop-off to be converted into carbon points. According to statistics, the market series attracted over 1,500 resident visits, collected more than 1,300 kilograms of old clothes and over 450 old books, reduced an estimated 5.25 tonnes of carbon emissions, and opened more than 90 new carbon inclusion accounts.

The organizers said they will consolidate the model of "district-level coordination, subdistrict-town collaboration, enterprise execution and resident participation" into a long-term mechanism, turning themed recycling from a "market-style" concentrated event into a regular daily practice. This approach offers a replicable case for urban communities to advance the recycling of old clothing and textiles, and explores a path for integrating carbon inclusion mechanisms with residents' daily life scenarios.

Source: Old Clothes for Succulents, Old Books Find New Owners: Visit a "Give-and-Take" Market in Pudong · Originally published on 2026-08-26