Every year, 92 million tons of clothing waste are generated — equivalent to a full truckload dumped into landfills every second. It’s a problem that fashion brands have long been aware of but have struggled to resolve. Now, more and more brands are finding ways to give the clothing they sell a second life or enabling it to be sustainably recycled.
Earth Day provides the perfect moment for many brands to tout their efforts in this arena, and this year is no exception, particularly as the current socioeconomic climate makes resale even more attractive to consumers than it already has been. These fashion brands are kicking off new recycling and resale initiatives during Earth Month, but they are fully intended to have a year-round impact.
Uniqlo Helps Customers Moving House Responsibly Dispose of Unwanted Apparel
Uniqlo is teaming up with Piece of Cake Moving and Storage (which serves NYC’s five boroughs) and circularity solution SuperCircle to launch UNtrash It, an initiative designed to divert clothing from landfills at that critical moment when consumers are often getting rid of unwanted clothing and need an easy solution — when they’re moving.
The program leverages Piece of Cake Moving’s logistics, Uniqlo’s in-store collection program RE.Uniqlo and SuperCircle’s textile sorting and recycling infrastructure. Best of all, the three partners are fully funding the program for Earth Month, making it completely free for consumers.
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NYC-based customers can book their move with Piece of Cake Moving, then fill an UNtrash It bag (or bags) with unwanted clothing, and Piece of Cake will collect it as part of their move. The garments are then directed to the RE.Uniqlo program, powered by SuperCircle, for sorting, donation, upcycling or recycling.
Customers who aren’t moving also can participate by bringing their unwanted clothes to any Uniqlo store across the U.S. and dropping them off in designated RE.Uniqlo bins.
Figs Makes Mail-In Recycling Program for Scrubs Permanent
U.S. hospitals produce around 6 million tons of waste annually, according to the American Hospital Association, and scrubs contribute significantly to that number because they are rarely accepted for donation, meaning they often end up in landfills. To combat this, healthcare apparel brand Figs’ new Scrubs That Don’t Suck program lets customers recycle their old scrubs for a credit toward near gear.
“Scrubs are some of the hardest working — and most discarded — garments in the apparel industry,” said Chloe Songer, Co-founder and CEO of SuperCircle, which is powering the program, in a statement. “They’ve been left out of the circularity conversation for too long. This is the first real end-of-life solution built for the medical world.”
In a pilot program last year, Figs was able to divert 45,000 pounds of scrubs from landfills, and customer demand has now prompted the company to make the pilot program permanent. Healthcare pros can turn in their worn-out scrubs by mail or at Figs Community Hubs in Los Angeles and Philadelphia. In exchange, they’ll receive a $50 credit in April for Earth Month, or a $25 credit during the rest of the year. The scrubs will then be responsibly recycled by SuperCircle. To kick off the program, Figs hosted a three-day recycling event in Houston earlier this month.
“Our mission is to serve those that serve others — and continue to break barriers while doing so,” said Trina Spear, Co-founder and CEO of FIGS in a statement. “This means creating the highest quality, most innovative scrubs for the healthcare community, but also offering them a first-of-its-kind convenient solution to contribute to a more sustainable future.”
Sanctuary Launches Peer-to-Peer Resale Marketplace
California-based women’s lifestyle brand Sanctuary, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, has launched a resale platform — Resanctuary — powered by Treet.
As part of the brand’s commitment to mindful production and increasing the life of its products, Resanctuary is designed to embrace circularity by empowering the brand’s customers to re-wear, share and extend the life of pre-loved garments.
The marketplace includes items uploaded by Sanctuary, all of which are 100% unworn, as well as a peer-to-peer offering that allows customers to purchase pre-loved pieces directly from one another. A verification process ensures that all pieces of clothing uploaded to the platform are authentic, with each post being carefully reviewed before going live. Every purchase also is backed by Treet Protection, guaranteeing that shoppers receive the item as it was described.
Once a purchase is made, the seller will receive an email with a prepaid shipping label and is encouraged to ship the item immediately. Shipping costs are covered by the buyer, and sellers can receive 80% of the selling price in cash or 100% as in-store credit.
In celebration of the new platform’s launch, the Resanctuary marketplace features a curation of archival deadstock styles, along with special vintage pieces from Co-founder and Creative Director Deb Polanco’s own collection.
Sustainability always has been a cornerstone of the Sanctuary brand, with a focus on production practices that have minimal environmental impact and seasonal collections that feature timeless, quality styles rather than trend-driven designs. More than half of the brand’s products each season are made from sustainable materials, including sustainably sourced cotton processed in low-waste factories. The brand’s Smart Creation certification, marked by a logo of a water drop with leaves, identifies products made from recycled materials and low-impact fibers.
“At Sanctuary, we’ve always strived to design collections that stand the test of time — pieces you’ll reach for again and again, and not just a single season,” said Polanco in a statement. “We believe in the power of timeless, modern clothes that never go out of style, and we hope our fans take that message to heart.”
DXL Debuts Trade-In Program for Discounts on New Duds
Destination XL (DXL)’s new Fit Exchange program gives shoppers 20% off in-store purchases of new items when they bring their old pieces to any of the 250+ DXL Big + Tall and Casual Male XL locations. All donated clothes will then be distributed locally, supporting those in need in each community.
“At DXL, we believe every man deserves clothing that fits perfectly, so he can look good and feel good,” said Harvey Kanter, President and CEO of DXL in a statement. “That said, we are dedicated to continuing to find ways to provide value at a time when customers are really looking for it.”
ThredUp Unveils Revamped Rewards Program
After ending the points-based component of its loyalty program last fall, online resale platform ThredUp has given its rewards program a glow-up. The new three-tier ThredUp Insider program offers free shipping at specific purchase level thresholds as well as birthday gifts for all three levels that include: Star (Free), Superstar ($350 annual spend) and Very Important Thrifter or VIT ($1,000 annual spend). Superstar and VIT members also will get early access to select sales and a credit for sending in their first Clean Out bag (normally a $15 charge), and VIT members get priority access to customer service as well as 24-hour early access to newly listed items.
“We are constantly refining our strategies to prioritize initiatives with the greatest potential impact,” said Alon Rotem, ThredUp’s Chief Strategy Officer in comments shared with Retail TouchPoints in September 2024 when certain facets of the program were discontinued. “While we’re phasing out points-based rewards, we’re evolving the loyalty program in the months to come,” he promised, adding that he was “confident that the changes we’re making will create even more value for our community.”
