It is estimated that more than 10% of the total impact of garments on the environment occurs after they have already left the store. This is due to aspects such as the frequency of washing clothes or throwing them in the rubbish bin instead of recycling them correctly. Everything counts and has consequences. Fortunately, in recent years, we have become more aware of this issue and hWe have begun to extend the useful life of our textiles. Either through the “pre loved” concept or learning about recycling. So if you have a bag full of clothes at home that you don’t know what to do with, the solution can be found very close to home.
How is the used clothing collection program used?
According to data from H&M, less than 1% of the material used to make garments is currently recycled per year. Or what is the same: thousands of tons of fabrics end up in landfills. So it is only by reusing or recycling our garments that we can change those percentages and so the Swedish chain has a used clothing collection program.
It was rolled out globally in 2013, the year in which recycling boxes began to appear in physical H&M stores around the world. The process is very simple and works like this:
The first thing is to take clothing or textiles that you no longer want, of any brand and in any condition, to one of its stores. Once there, deliver them in the box. And if you’re an H&M member, you’ll receive a digital thank you coupon that you can use on your next purchase.
What happens next with my clothes?
And if you’re wondering what will happen to your used textiles once you’ve gotten rid of them: The I:CO chain partner will take care of everything from then on. He will collect the boxes and classify their contents into three categories:
Reuse: garments in good condition will be identified as second-hand items.
Re-use: If garments or fabrics can no longer be worn, they will be transformed into other products, such as recycled fashion collections or cleaning cloths.
Recycle: the rest of the garments and fabrics will be transformed into fibers for later use as insulating materials, for example.
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