M&S joins forces with charity (From Witney Gazette)

M&S joins forces with charity

7:00am Sunday 27th January 2008 in Headlines

OXFAM has teamed up with high street giant Marks & Spencer to help tackle poverty and boost recycling.

The M&S and Oxfam Clothes Exchange will see customers of the Oxford-based charity given a £5 voucher in exchange for one or more items of the retailer's clothing which they no longer wear.

The voucher can then be redeemed against any clothing, homeware or beauty products purchase worth £35 or more at M&S.

Oxfam will then either sell the clothing in its shops to raise cash for needy people in developing countries or recycle it to become items such as mattress filler or carpet underlay.

Oxfam director Barbara Stocking said: "This partnership is an enormous opportunity and Oxfam is very excited to be working with M&S to help make a real difference to global poverty.

"Recycling and reusing clothes - and anything else we can sell - has always been central to Oxfam's fundraising, as well as being good for the environment."

As well as raising cash, the scheme, which is claimed to be the biggest clothes recycling programme in the UK, is designed to help cut the one million tonnes of clothing sent by the public to landfill each year.

M&S unveiled details of the Exchange on the first anniversary of its Plan A "eco-plan" which has introduced green measures including cutting down on carrier bags and encouraging suppliers to focus on the environment.

M&S chief executive Sir Stuart Rose said: "It's a triple win - good for customers, good for people in developing countries and good for the environment."

The Exchange will trial for six months from tomorrow.