Marks & Spencer is asking the public to donate both wearable and unwearable clothing for a free postal donation service trial in partnership with Oxfam. Through the trial, which is funded through M&S’ Plan A Accelerator Fund, M&S wants to find new ways to reduce textile waste and increase the use of recycled fibres to drive the circular economy.
The trial follows new research conducted on behalf of M&S, which found one-third of the UK doesn’t know what to do with clothes that cannot be re-worn, with three in 10 consumers admitting to disposing of unwearable clothes in their household waste bin.
To help tackle this problem, consumers can now recycle their preloved clothing by ordering a pre-paid postal donation bag from the Oxfam website
The bag, which is made from 100% recycled plastic, allows preloved clothing to be separated into two groups: good quality and wearable and unwearable. The clothes can then be returned via a local courier, where they will then go directly to Oxfam to be resold, reused, or recycled. Consumers can use the service to donate any item of preloved clothing from any retailer, as well as soft furnishings textile waste such as bed linen, towels, cushions and tablecloths.
M&S’ research also highlighted one in five consumers are confused by what defines ‘wearable’ and ‘unwearable’ clothing. WRAP, the climate action NGO, defines wearable clothing as clean, dry, in good condition and ready to be worn by someone else. Unwearable clothing is damaged in some way, such as torn, stained, faded, or stretched. To help consumers navigate what preloved clothing can be donated, M&S has worked with Oxfam to create a simple ‘how-to’ guide, which is enclosed in the pre-paid donation bag.
Commenting is Katharine Beacham, Head of Materials, Sustainability and Packaging at M&S. “At M&S, we’re focused on making good quality, durable products which are made to last. In 2008, we launched Shwopping to support customers to give a second home to their preloved clothing, and we’re now expanding our partnership with Oxfam to trial a free postal service which enables customers to clear out their preloved clothing that they no longer need. Whether it is wearable or unwearable – we want it all.”
Also commenting is Lorna Fallon, Trading Director at Oxfam.
“We are so excited to be working with M&S as part of this brand-new trial. As well as continuing to encourage customers to donate their preloved, wearable clothing to Oxfam and help raise vital funds to tackle poverty around the world, this trial allows us to give unwearable clothes a second chance of life too. By recirculating our clothes, and buying and wearing second hand, we can help to reduce the demand for new clothes, which could in turn help to reduce the damage to our planet. So, by learning more about the potential of all our clothes and textiles, we can help improve the lifecycle of all of our clothing for the better.”
The trial forms part of the ACT Project, which is being led by the UK Fashion and Textile Association (UKFT). The UKFT is working to develop a new framework towards a UK-based automated sorting and pre-processing facility (ATSP) that will recycle clothing unsuitable for re-sale to make new clothing which can be sold in the UK to create a completely circular system.
“We’re delighted to be working with Marks & Spencer and Oxfam to give old clothing a second chance at life,” says Adam Mansell, CEO at UKFT. “We need to ACT now to tackle the staggering amount of textile waste that ends up in landfill or incinerated each year. Through this trial, we’re aiming to encourage people to separate their items so that in future, worn-out clothing can make its way to an automated sorting facility and then be recycled into new textiles and garments here in the UK.”
For further information on the free postal donation service trial, please click here.
