Outdoor clothing brand The North Face allows you to turn in your used gear in exchange for store credit.
How does the North Face Renewed program work?
Customers just need to take their used apparel to a participating North Face store or outlet, and those with an XLPR pass — the North Face rewards program — will receive $10 toward their next purchase.
Once the clothes are turned in, technicians inspect them for needed repairs, check for known quality issues with the product, and add a barcode to track progress and repairs.
The North Face then cleans the secondhand apparel using Tersus CO2 cleaning technology.
The product is repaired and inspected again for quality assurance and then posted for sale at less than its original cost.
If the program receives a product that cannot be repaired, the materials are either recycled into another product or donated.
Why should I trade in my used clothes?
Trade-in programs like The North Face Renewal program are the perfect way to get rid of clothes that you're ready to pass on and keep the clutter in your drawers to a minimum.
Plus, the clothing for sale from this renewal program is cheaper than the original items, so contributing your used apparel will help keep affordable gear available.
Another added bonus is that this program is greatly benefiting the environment.
Throwing away clothing is the top source of textile waste in the U.S., reports the Environmental Protection Agency. On a global scale, the fashion industry accounts for 20% of all plastic waste, and 2,150 clothing items are thrown away every second, according to Bloomberg.
In a landfill, this clothing begins to break down, releasing planet-warming gases into the air and leaching dangerous chemicals into the soil and groundwater.
The good news is that The North Face is working to cut down on the amount of clothing that goes to landfills and also aims to use sustainable materials and practices in the first place.
The website emphasizes an effort to source materials responsibly, making sure to use as few finite resources — materials from the earth that are not replaceable — as possible. It also emphasizes durability and working with materials that break down easily to be recycled.
Are there other programs like the North Face Renewal program?
These trade-in programs are becoming more common for many companies — whether it's clothes, technology, or books.
Some other clothing brands like Lululemon and Levi have similar trade-in policies, and Patagonia offers great discounts in return for old apparel and more.
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