A top image with Recycly My Gear message on it on the background of a rubbish tip.
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Cotswold Outdoor logo
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GIVE YOUR UNWANTED GEAR A NEW LEASE OF LIFE

We want to be a zero-waste retailer as part of our mission to reduce our impact on the environment. If you love the outdoors as much as we do, you’ll want to keep your kit out of landfill and give it a new lease of life. That’s why we’ve introduced Recycle My Gear as part of our sustainability programme.

 

To help us do this, we’ve partnered with SOEX, the largest clothing re-wear and recycle company in the world, who offer clothing and textile collection, sorting, reuse, recycling and a redistribution network that’s committed to the very highest standards. 

White thread from a recycle material
White thread from a recycle material

So, what can you expect from this exciting initiative?

  • A reliable place to recycle textiles
  • Transparency on how products are recycled/reused
  • Seasonal incentives in-store for replacement products
  • A simple way to help protect the outdoors

To help everyone recycle safely and easily, we’ve placed permanent recycling stations in-store which our customers can access and use to recycle unwanted textiles. 


Lots of rugs to be recycled
White thread from a recycle material

So how does it work? Here’s a simple step-by-step guide:

 

1. Collection

2. Sorting for: 

                a. Resale/Reuse

                b. Recycling

3. Distribution to agreed markets

4. Breaking down products into recyclable components for multiple industries

Once you’ve dropped your unwanted gear into our recycling boxes in-store, SOEX come to collect. Then the sorting begins.

 

The sorting process follows the “waste hierarchy”, ensuring clothes and shoes remain in their original form as long as possible. All clothing is sorted by hand into one of 450 grades and categorised according to the next best use: reuse or recycle.

A red insulated jacket, one half of which is just inside insulation without the outer layer.
White thread from a recycle material

What we accept

  • Clothes (jackets, jumpers, hats etc.) of any quality and brand
  • Home textiles (towels, tablecloths etc.) of any quality and brand
  • Paired shoes of any quality and brand (best bound together)
  • Handbags
  • Belts
  • Garment that are ripped, have holes and permanent stains
  • Ski boots* (in selected stores)
A row of different colourful insulated clothes.
White thread from a recycle material

What we can't take

  • Sleeping bags
  • Tents
  • Rucksacks
  • Ice skates
  • Fabric remnants/rags
  • Blankets
  • Pillows

Please note, all returned garments must be clean and dry.

Lots of rugs to be recycled
White thread from a recycle material

What this all means

By working with SOEX, we have a partner with:

  • Logistical capability
  • Scalability
  • Transparency
  • Dual capabilities - customer recycled products and returned/faulty products

With their help, we can now give your unwanted clothing a second chance or a completely new life through the closed loop recycling process, keeping it out of landfill and helping to protect the planet. 

FAQs

What items can be recycled?

Most textiles and fabrics, whether loose material or garments, and any footwear

 

Are there any items that can’t be recycled?

We cannot recycle sleeping bags or tents, rucksacks fabric fragments, ice skates, blankets or pillows

 

Do I have to wash the garment before bringing it in?

We can’t accept anything that’s heavily soiled, and ask that all products deposited are clean and dry but we do take garments in almost any condition

 

What happens to product after they’ve been deposited?

If it’s wearable, it will be reused. Extending the lifetime of clothing and shoes achieves the biggest positive impact. Here’s why:

        - Wearable clothing remains in its original form for as long as possible 

        - Clothing is sold to second-hand markets in 90 different countries

        - Garments are given a second life whilst saving valuable resources, thus preserving the environment

 

If it’s unwearable, it can still be recycled. This is achieved through  open and closed loop recycling processes. What’s the difference?

 

Open Loop Recycling: 

- Fibres become products for many industries, e.g. insulation and product for the car industry

 

Closed Loop Recycling: 

- Recycled fibres are used for the production of yarns for new textiles, in a unique textile-to-textile process

 

What condition does the item have to be in?

Any condition is fine, provided it’s clean, dry and not heavily soiled 

 

Do you accept footwear?

Yes – any type of paired footwear can be recycled except ice skates

 

How much does it cost?

Good news! Recycling your gear in-store is completely free so you can help us work towards zero-waste at zero cost


An image with Recycly Your Boots message / logo on on the background of a ski boots recycling facility.

Looking to upgrade your ski boots this season but not sure what to do with your old, worn-out boots? We’ve got you. We’ve partnered with Tecnica to offer a ski boot recycling point in six of our stores: ChertseyCovent GardenHemel HempsteadChill FactorePort SolentBristol

 

How it works

Just bring your old ski boots to one of our participating stores, whatever the brand, and we’ll recycle them for you. 

Don’t forget to check out Tecnica’s range or speak to one of our in-store experts, who’ll help you make the right choice and find your perfect new pair.

 

Who Are Tecnica?

A leading ski boot manufacturer, Tecnica have been inspiring people to max out in the mountains for 60 years. But they believe that to keep having epic experiences, it’s up to all of us to make changes.

Plastic waste is one of the biggest challenges the planet currently faces, but Tecnica believe they can play a part in changing that. They know old ski boots that have reached the end of their life often end up in landfill or are burned in waste-to-energy plants, but they’ve found a better way. Through a transparent recycling process, they’re turning old ski boots into materials that can be re-used.  

And it doesn’t stop there, as they’re also on a mission to ensure that anyone looking to buy a new pair of ski boots can recycle their old ones through them.

 

Find Out More About The Process

* Ski boots recycling points are in the following stores: ChertseyCovent GardenHemel HempsteadChill FactorePort SolentBristol

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