John Lewis to buy back customers’ old clothes

SHOPPERS are being offered cash for old clothes in a trial run by John Lewis in which it buys back unwanted items even if they are damaged.

The scheme aims to reduce the impact of the 300,000 tonnes of clothes sent to UK landfill each year.

More than 100 customers are testing the scheme that allows them to sell any unwanted item of John Lewis clothing back to the department store, regardless of its condition, in return for an evoucher that they can then use in store.

The app-based service links to a customer’s John Lewis account data on what they have bought over the past five years. Customers can select products to sell.

Once a customer has a minimum of £50 worth of clothing to sell, a courier will collect the products within three hours.

Martyn White, sustainability manager at John Lewis, said: “We already take back used sofas, beds and large electrical items and either donate them to charity or reuse and recycle parts, and want to offer a service for fashion products.”