The growing push for sustainability in the apparel industry continues to spark new programs, partnerships, and actionable change. Recently, S&S Activewear announced it partnered with Give Back Box for a textile recycling program. Give Back Box operates as the logistical muscle behind many large retailer donation programs by connecting businesses with charities across the U.S. and abroad.

According to the S&S website, “This program is designed to provide a solution for textile waste in our industry.” The company calls for people to donate items such as sample overflow, old or damaged inventory, displays, and everything in between to the program. In addition, if you have old clothes to get rid of at home, those can be sent in as well.

The process is relatively simple: For U.S.-based donators, visit this site to download a pre-paid shipping label. Once the recycled box is filled, attach the label and drop off the box at a UPS location.

The Sustainable Story Behind the Program

As its customers and the world at large search for ways to not only advance sustainability in textiles but to also give back to their community, S&S felt it was necessary to pursue a solution, says Kayla Lindy, ESG specialist for the company. “It’s no secret that textile waste is a growing problem with large implications for our planet,” she says. “Our customers are always looking for ways to give back, and many are searching for options specifically to address misprints and dead stocks. With that in mind, a textile recycling program seemed like the natural option to help our customers (and employees) do some good.”

Lindy explains that Give Back Box checked all the boxes when it came to an organization S&S wanted to partner with. “After searching for a solution to curb textile waste in our industry, we felt Give Back Box made the most sense because of how easy it is for our customers to participate,” she says. “We initiated a partnership with Give Back Box in late 2021 and began setting the program up early 2022. … Logistically it’s been a very hands-off process as Give Back Box takes care of all the back-end work.”

With the program officially up and running, Lindy states that they’ve already set some big goals for it. “Our goal for the next 12 months is to get 25% of our active customer base participating in the program,” she says. In the 12 months after that, S&S would like to up that to 50%. Eventually the company hopes for 100% customer participation.

But this doesn’t just stop with S&S active customers. “While this is really aimed toward our customers, we wanted to give our customers the ability to share this program with the end-user as well,” Lindy notes. “As such, anyone is welcome to participate! We’ve created an S&S-branded URL and a generic URL so the program can be shared among end-users. We’re also encouraging our employees to take part.”

Credit: S&S Activewear

A Step in the Right Direction

While there is still a lot of progress to be made, implementing recycling programs such as this one is a step in the right direction. “We recognize that recycling textiles isn’t the only solution out there,” states Lindy. “Upcycling and minimizing unnecessary consumption are great ways to start closing the loop. Many of our brands and industry partners are doing exceedingly well at creating and implementing other ways to cut back on textile waste.”

And for those that have yet to get started or are currently exploring their own programs, Lindy has a word of advice: “We encourage you to get creative!”

Click here for details about the process, frequently asked questions, and more.