The American Outdoor recreation products company, North Face, was an early player to the circular economy game. They first introduced their circular initiative "The North Face Renewed" in 2018 which aimed to collect returned, defective or damaged North Face products and refurbish and resell them for a lower cost to costumers looking for a cheaper and environmentally friendly option. Instead of the damaged and unwanted clothes ending up on a landfill, the clothes are returned to a North Face store for a gift card of a $10 reward toward the next purchase of $100 or more at The North Face. The returned clothing items are inspected, cleaned and refurbished to a like-new condition that meet all quality and performance standards. The clothing in the North Face Renewed line is then sold at steep discounts compared to original pricing. This initiative not only encourages consumers not to buy new but also invites them to join the circular economy community that the North Face has created.
It's great when big brands bring up the subject of conscious consumption and recycling. For example, clothing brand H&M has long been collecting textiles in exchange for vouchers. You can bring a bag of textiles to any store of this brand and get a 15% discount on your next purchase. Items brought in are either recycled or reused in a variety of ways.
This is such an awesome initiative for the environment, as well as for my wallet! Fast fashion is responsible for so much pollution, from the way it is manufactured to the way it releases dyes and microfibers when washed, to how fast the trends change and gets throw it away. This is a great way to reuse clothes and prevent waste from a brand that builds clothes to last through many uses. Thank you so much for sharing Micaela! I love that through this program consumers have environmentally friendly, as well as useful and fashionable, options to choose from. I can't wait to put this information to use during my next shopping spree!