M&S invites nation to give clothing a second life with free postal donations

Marks & Spencer has asked the public to donate their unwanted clothing – whether it be wearable or not - through the trial of a free postal donation service, in partnership with Oxfam.

It is estimated that UK homes contain 1.6 billion items of unworn clothing. Three in 10 consumers admit to disposing of unwearable clothes in their kitchen bins.

To help tackle the problem and promote a circular fashion economy, from today, consumers will be able to recycle their preloved clothing from the comfort of their own homes. Consumers can use the service to donate pre-loved clothing from any retailer as well as soft furnishings such as bed linen, towels, cushions, tablecloths and tea towels.

Prioritising ease and accessibility, all participants have to do is order a pre-paid postal donation bag from the Oxfam website. The bag, which is made from 100% recycled plastic, allows for preloved clothing to be separated into two groups - those that are good quality and wearable and those that are unwearable - and returned for free via a local courier.  It will end up in the hands of Oxfam to be resold, reused, or recycled.

Katharine Beacham, Head of Materials, Sustainability and Packaging at M&S, said: "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 in giving 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 pre-loved clothing that they no longer need. Whether it is wearable or unwearable - we want it all!"

Earlier this month, the retailer announced the launch of the £1 million Plan A Accelerator Fund. It is working in partnership with long-standing and new suppliers on a series of innovation projects to become a net zero business across all its operations and the entire value chain by 2040.

As part of the fund, M&S will use the donation trial to find new ways to reduce textile waste and increase the use of recycled fibres to drive the circular economy.

Lorna Fallon, Trading Director at Oxfam, added: "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 at life too.

"By recirculating our clothes, 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."