Andorra la Vella's El Troc Clothing Swap Hits Record 297 Participants

Andorra la Vella's third El Troc clothing swap drew a record 297 participants, who contributed 1,479 items valued at 3,611 trocs, with 1,502 pieces exchanged for 1,881 trocs across the two days at Consòrcia hall in the Congress Centre.

Organised by Andtropia alongside the city council, the event underscored growing public interest in sustainable consumption and the circular economy. Cònsol Menor Olalla Losada hailed the results, noting that the market had enabled clothing to circulate and secure a second life. She attributed faster exchanges to this year's system adjustments and emphasised efforts to foster a more sustainable parish via reuse and mindful habits.

Numbers climbed rapidly, exceeding 100 visitors by Friday afternoon and reaching about 200 by Saturday midday—roughly double the September edition's turnout. Andtropia's projects head, Mercè Miguel, pointed to strong community buy-in, with attendees often bringing the maximum of five clean, well-kept items. She described El Troc as a firmly established neighbourhood staple.

Key changes featured a streamlined six-category valuation: basic garments like t-shirts or trousers at two trocs; outerwear, accessories and shoes at three; special items such as dresses or branded pieces at four; and unique or limited-edition articles at five. Following last edition's token shortages, organisers doubled troc production, allowing participants to take home more clothing per token and prioritising circulation over hoarding.

Young volunteers from El Rusc aided logistics. Operations halted from 2pm to 4pm Saturday for restocking, resuming until 8pm. With momentum building, plans are underway for a September autumn follow-up.