Swapshop | SHRUB Coop

swap, buy, donate!

🏢 22 Bread Street, EH3 9AF

🕐 11am to 6pm, Tuesdays to Saturdays 11am to 4pm Sundays

What We Do

Swap, donate or buy affordable and high quality preloved clothing, books, shoes, bags, bric-a-brac and household items.

Anyone is welcome to buy or donate items. Become a member and you can swap your items in exchange for tokens to use in-store.

How It Works

Our vision is for a world without waste. Choosing second hand helps to save carbon emissions and supports a sustainable lifestyle.

Our Swapshop can now be treated like any other second hand or charity store. Goods are donated, and we put them out for sale in the shop. However - Unlike your ordinary charity shop, when you donate your preloved items we give you back 20% of their value as tokens. You can spend these at any time in the Swapshop. 1 token is worth £1.

When you drop off your items, our friendly volunteers will value them and add tokens to your account within 7 days.

Unlike other second hand shops we try not to let anything useful go to waste. As such we have a free section that includes odds and ends that might come in handy - from lightly used stationary to cables and mugs. These things are free to anyone.

While we like to try and enable people to swap and donate as many different things as possible, unfortunately, there are a few items that we can’t take. Here’s a full list of what we can’t accept and suggestions of alternative places to take them.

Can’t make it in? Find us on Depop!

We’re Revolve certified - Scotland’s re-use quality standard. That means we’re committed to providing only the highest quality second-hand products and excellent customer service.

Our Impact

The Swapshop has saved 124 tonnes of CO2 emissions so far.

In 2016 it is estimated that 1,130,000 tonnes of clothing was purchased in the UK. (Wrap, 2017) That’s the equivalent of 23 million tonnes of CO2 emissions.

UK households binned 300,000 tonnes of clothing in 2016. (The Guardian, 2017)

“Extending the life of clothes offers the greatest overall potential across carbon, water, and waste targets. This can be achieved by designing clothes to be more durable, and by encouraging re-use through sales of second hand clothing” - Wrap, 2017

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Zero Waste Hub accessible?

The Zero Waste Hub is on ground floor with a small step at the entrance. A ramp is available, just ring the bell and one of our volunteers will happily assist you. All the public spaces throughout the building are step free and there is an accessible toilet with hand rails.

There are disabled parking bays on both parallel streets, East Fountainbridge and Grindlay Street.

All our toilets are gender neutral.

If you have further questions regarding accessibility, please contact the Zero Waste Hub on 0131 281 0583.

Is there nearby bicycle parking?

There is space to lock up your bike on the corner of Lothian Road and Bread Street by Cost Cutters

What bus routes are you on?

The Zero Waste Hub is located just off Lothian Road and Grassmarket and following bus routes will take you nearby;

Lothian Road routes: 47, 24, 10, 11, 15, 16, 36, 1, 34, 124

Grassmarket route: 2

Is there parking nearby?

There is limited on street parking on Bread Street, but two large car parks a 4 minute walk away;

Thistle Parking

Semple Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8BL

NCP Car Park Edinburgh Castle Terrace

Castle Terrace, Edinburgh, EH1 2EW

Donations we can’t accept

Click here to see the lists

Upcoming Events

No upcoming events right now - check back soon!