John Lewis is buying back your unwanted clothes, through a new app-based service that is set to help cut down on landfilled clothing.
The brand is currently trialling a system where customers can select clothes they want to sell back on an app. It gives an instant update of how much you can get for each item and the balance is paid by e-voucher. The unwanted clothes will be resold or mended, so that they can be recycled into new products.
It is estimated that 300,000 tonnes of clothes sent to UK landfill each year, according to WRAP – so it’s a real pressing issue. Here’s what other high street brands are doing to help you recycle your old clothes.
M&S
If you donate an item of M&S clothing to Oxfam, either in-store or at one of the charity shops, you will get a £5 M&S clothing and home voucher to spend in store. Clothing from other brands is also accepted at in-store collection points – but you don’t get vouchers for those, sadly.
Levi’s
Since 2016, UK shoppers have been able to drop any brand of clean, dry clothing or shoes to a Levi’s store in exchange for a voucher offering 10% discount on a single, non-discounted item in-store.
H&M
A seasoned player at the clothing recycling game, H&M has had collection points for unwanted clothes in stores since 2013. Regardless of the condition or brand of the clothing you drop off, you receive a £5 voucher off your next to use against a £30 shop.
& Other Stories
This brand, owned by the H&M group, offers a 10% off voucher to customers who trade in unwanted clothes in-store, which will go on to be recycled as raw material. It has been running this programme since 2015 and clothes can be any brand.
Zara
The European fashion brand is in the process of fitting collection points for unwanted clothes across all of its stores, globally. Pieces are donated to local NGOs, and there aren’t currently any discounts of rewards offered for donations.
Find out more about which UK stores currently provide this service here.
HuffPost UK contacted The Arcadia Group about Topshop and Topman. A spokesperson said: “Topshop and Topman do not currently have a clothing recycling initiative, however we are actively exploring options in this space.”
We also contacted ASOS and The Arcadia Group about Miss Selfridge, but have yet to hear back at the time of writing.