At Oliver Spencer we aim to produce quality clothing that is built to last and designed to transcend trend. However, fashion feeds a culture of waste; the average number of times a garment is worn has fallen by around 36% over the last 15 years resulting in millions of tonnes of clothing being burned or sent to landfill every year. Repurpose is a circular initiative by Oliver Spencer, a regenerative solution for when your clothing reaches its end of life.
Here’s how it works: If you have an old Oliver Spencer garment that has reached the end of its wearable life, you can bring it back in-store or send it back via an online process. Once received, it will be repurposed down one of our bespoke routes. As a token of appreciation for participating in this initiative, you will be sent a voucher to put towards another Oliver Spencer product. It's our way of saying thank you for making a responsible choice.
Repurpose is a new solution for an old problem: what to do with clothing that reaches the end of its wearable life. Even items that cannot be repaired (visit our Care & Repair pages to learn how to revive items you love) or resold do not need to go to landfill - they can have a useful and new future with Repurpose. All you need to do is send us your item, and we will do the rest.
Our Repurpose Routes
Focusing on garments like pure cotton or wool, our Single Fibre route breaks items down to their core fibres, converting them to pulp and then spinning into new yarn to create new materials. This circular approach aims to reintegrate recycled fabric into future Oliver Spencer collections.
This route is for those garments crafted from a blend of fibres or featuring special coatings. Partnering with a unique social enterprise, these items get a new lease of life - either innovatively upcycled by design students or downcycled for practical uses like furniture stuffing, ensuring every garment realises its full potential.
Footwear undergoes a meticulous transformation at a specialised facility. Rubber soles are either integrated into new footwear, or are used in faux-leather components. Materials that don't find their way back into footwear are repurposed, into furniture, retail interiors, playgrounds, and even sports fields.
Repurpose marks our commitment to a more sustainable fashion industry. It's our starting point, defined by progress over perfection. Your feedback, alongside our exploration of advanced recycling techniques, will guide its evolution.
In-Store & Online Process
- End of Wearable Life: If you have an old Oliver Spencer garment that has reached the end of its wearable life, bring it in-store for responsible recycling.
- Item Limit: You can bring up to three Oliver Spencer items that you wish to recycle.
- In-Store Process: Simply head to the till and present the items you wish to repurpose. No proof of purchase is required. Please ensure all items returned for repurposing are clean.
- Voucher: Receive a voucher with a unique code, either in digital or physical form. The voucher will remain valid until its balance reaches zero. There is no set expiration date.”
- Next Steps: Your items are stored in-store until sent to our dedicated recycling facility. Each garment undergoes sorting into one of our recycling routes. An SMS update will be sent informing you of this.
- End of Wearable Life: If you have an old Oliver Spencer garment that has reached the end of its wearable life, visit the "Repurpose" section on our website for responsible recycling.
- Select Items: Choose up to three Oliver Spencer items for recycling through our online platform.
- Your Online Bag: Place the items you wish to recycle in your online bag. Monetary values associated with each item type will be displayed. Please ensure all items returned for repurposing are clean.
- Generate Shipping Info: Input your details to produce a shipping label or QR code, allowing you to send your items back.
- Send-Off: Safely package your items and bring them to a designated drop-off location.
- Voucher Issued: A voucher will be generated and emailed to you within 7 to 10 working days. It can be used both online and in-store. The voucher will remain valid until its balance reaches zero. There is no set expiration date.”
- Next Steps: Upon receipt at the recycling facility, your garments are sorted into one of our recycling routes. An SMS update will inform you about this process.
Below are the credit values for items sent back to us for recycling:
- • Outerwear: £25
- • Lightweight Jackets: £20
- • Trousers: £10
- • Shorts: £10
- • Shirts: £10
- • Knitwear: £15
- • Sweatshirts: £5
- • T-Shirts & Vests: £5
- • Shoes: £15
- • Knitted Hats, Gloves, Scarves: £5
- • Leather Accessories: £5