John Lewis is to buy back worn and unwanted clothing from its customers in a UK industry first. This initiative aims to reduce the environmental damage caused by this sector.
Through the “Stuffstr” app, customers can arrange to return the clothes they bought from John Lewis after entering the data of the pieces they want to return. The app will set their prices, and once a customer has at least £50 (over $66) worth of clothing to sell, a courier will collect the products. The customer is then emailed a John Lewis e-gift card for the value of the items sold.
For his part, Martyn White, the retailer’s sustainability manager at John Lewis told Vogue Magazine: “The company saw this initiative as a way to educate consumers about the value and quality of clothes they no longer wear. This step may also change their purchasing habits and encourage them to buy higher-quality clothing and possessions that do not spoil quickly in the future.”
According to the Guardian newspaper, the items bought back will be resold, mended for resale, or recycled into new products. This initiative comes as part of John Lewis’s strategy to grow sustainability in houses to become more eco-friendly. Last year, the retail chain took back for “upcycling” more than 27,000 electrical products and about 2,000 used sofas, and 55,000 mattresses, reported the newspaper.
In turn, other large retail chains are also trying to contribute to the conservation of the planet through many initiatives. For example, H&M and Zara have been using recycled waste bins in their stores since 2012.
The fashion and apparel sector is harmful to the environment, according to the Copenhagen Fashion Forum, which revealed that 87% of the garments manufactured today are destined to be dumped in the garbage, and that clothing production has doubled over the past 15 years.
