In less than 24 hours, Marks & Spencer Group, or M&S, will be back with its popular shwopping scheme – an apparel recycling programme that intends to keep apparels away from landfill.

It’s coming back after March, when the scheme had to be suspended owing to coronavirus outbreak.

Come 1 October (Thursday) and people can start donating their old and unwanted dresses, shoes and accessories in 287 stores with apparel sections.

Importantly, these apparels and shoes could be of any brand and in any condition.

The sustainable apparel recycling scheme is being seen as an extension of M&S’ 12-year-old partnership with Oxfam. So far more than 35 million products worth £23 million have been donated.

From what started on a small scale wherein the retailer encouraged customers to donate their unwanted M&S apparels to Oxfam to receive a voucher of £5, it gradually developed into shwopping – to encourage shoppers to donate their dresses regularly whenever they buy anything in the store.

All the donated apparel products are sent to Oxfam to be resold in one of its stores or on its e-commerce platform or to be recycled into new materials that are then used to make filling in M&S mattresses.

In this new normal world, as per Government guidelines, M&S will now quarantine all products for 48 hours before sending to Oxfam.

M&S will also start including details of sustainable raw materials used in its clothes on digital platform.