Marks and Spencer to pay customers to donate unused clothes
Marks & Spencer has unveiled a new dedicated resale platform on eBay, marking a significant step in its efforts to encourage customers to recycle their clothing.
From Tuesday, shoppers can trade in their pre-loved clothing, footwear, and accessories through M&Sโs first online take-back scheme.
Simultaneously, a curated selection of pre-owned items is now available for purchase on the official M&S x eBay store.
To participate, customers complete a brief form on the M&S website or scan a QR code in-store, before sending their items via a free local courier service to Reskinned, a specialist in repair and resale.
Reskinned will professionally clean and repair the best M&S items suitable for re-wear, listing them on the M&S eBay store.
Items not fit for resale will be responsibly repurposed or recycled. As an incentive, customers receive a ยฃ5 voucher, redeemable against a ยฃ35 or more spend on fashion, home, and beauty products online at M&S.com, for each return containing at least one M&S-labelled item.
The voucher is valid for four weeks from issue. M&S said 15 per cent of the profits will go to its long-standing partner Oxfam.
The retailer said the partnership was designed to make it easy for customers to trade in M&S items they no longer wear, and offered a โone-stop destinationโ to shop for their favourite styles.
Monique Leeuwenburgh, director of sourcing and technology in fashion, home and beauty at M&S, said: โAt M&S, we are committed to supporting customers to do the right thing and playing our part in reducing textile waste.
โWeโre delighted to be partnering with the pre-loved experts at eBay and Reskinned to launch a dedicated resale platform.
โThis not only offers more ways for customers to give items another life, but also an opportunity for customers to purchase items they might have missed from previous seasons โ which are pre-loved.โ
Kirsty Keoghan, general manager of European fashion at eBay, said: โM&S is a beloved British institution, known for its enduring quality and style, and a staple in wardrobes across the UK.
โWelcoming M&S to the eBay marketplace represents an exciting milestone in our mission to make circular fashion more accessible, appealing, and scalable.โ
Circular economy minister Mary Creagh said: โOur plan for change is focused on cleaning up Britain, ending our throwaway culture and ensuring that the 700,000 odd tonnes of clothes we throw away each year are worn more.
โOnly government and businesses working together can stop fashion costing the earth, which is why I welcome this new initiative from M&S โ a great way for consumers to be rewarded for providing a new home for old favourites.โ
