Supermarket chain Asda is helping to find new homes for unwanted clothes with a trial of an in-store ‘Re-Loved’ charity clothing shop.
For 4 weeks from yesterday (2 September), the ‘Re-Loved’ pop-up shop in Asda’s Milton Keynes store will feature donated second-hand clothes from a number of different brands, as the retailer looks at ways to encourage customers to reuse, repurpose or recycle their unwanted clothes.
The move is part of a drive by George, Asda’s fashion brand, to improve the environmental impact of its clothes and operations, following the launch of its new sustainability strategy and first range of recycled polyester clothing in the spring.
By trialling our Re-Loved pop-up shop, we hope to help create another route for unwanted clothes to find a new home and encourage people to think again about throwing away that top or those jeans they no longer love
The supermarket says it already has a “zero-tolerance” policy towards incineration of clothing waste and its surplus products are donated to be repurposed or recycled by a number of different charities. It also has clothing recycling points for customers at almost 500 stores.
Melanie Wilson, Senior Director for Sustainable Sourcing at George, said: “As a country, we throw away far too many clothes. At George, we’re committed to doing the right thing by our customers and the planet by improving the sustainability of our products, making sure they are built to last – including our 100 day satisfaction guarantee – and ensuring that any surplus stock we have is repurposed or recycled.
“By trialling our Re-Loved pop-up shop, we hope to help create another route for unwanted clothes to find a new home and encourage people to think again about throwing away that top or those jeans they no longer love.”
All proceeds from the shop will go to Asda’s Tickled Pink campaign, which supports Breast Cancer Care and Breast Cancer Now. To date, the Tickled Pink partnership has raised over £64 million for vital breast cancer research and support.