Items in any condition purchased from adidas within the past five years can be returned as part of the program.
Sports giant adidas has announced the start of a program to exchange old unnecessary items of its own production for vouchers for subsequent purchases in its company stores. The initiative of the German brand refers to the solution of the problem of the increasing number of unwanted waste in the production of clothing around the world.
The project to exchange old things for new ones is being implemented in the UK in partnership with local startup Stuffsr, which will be responsible for logistics and resale, including on ebay and other platforms. Items worth at least $25, in any condition, purchased from adidas within the past five years can be returned through the program. The company, if possible, will repair and update, and then resell items in good condition, the rest of the products will be sent for recycling. As early as 2020, adidas' green initiative is expected to be rolled out to other international markets.
The manufacturer first launched a take-back campaign in Brazil in 2012, but the initiative hasn't taken off since then. In 2016, adidas opened the program in Canada, and since 2018, it has begun collecting old clothes in nine stores in central locations in London, Paris, New York and Los Angeles.
The latest scheme, introduced in the UK market with Stuffsr, reflects pressure on the largest companies from consumers and regulators, concerned about the high level of waste in the fashion industry. The non-profit organization WRAP estimates that the equivalent of $$176 million worth of clothing ends up in landfills every year in the UK alone.
In recent years adidas is actively committed to following the circular economy model. In 2019, the company, after years of testing, announced the release of reusable footwear. And by 2024, the manufacturer has promised, if possible, to abandon the use of plastic.
