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Target is holding a chain-wide “Denim Take Back Event” from August 4–10, allowing customers to recycle up to five articles of used denim from any brand in any condition for a 20% promo code off new denim apparel. The retail giant is pitching the event as a way to reduce waste and save money in time for back-to-school shopping.
“Our new Denim Take Back Event is an easy way for families to give their used denim a new life,” Gena Fox, Target’s SVP of merchandising for apparel and accessories, said in a statement. “With back-to-school and college shopping top of mind for families, we’re offering this 20% off Target Circle deal to make it even more affordable for our guests to refresh their denim wardrobes, while also doing our part to reduce waste and keep used denim out of landfills.”
Target said the event is a response to growing demand from consumers for programs that reduce waste and encourage more sustainable practices. The company previously launched a car seat trade-in program, “which has recycled 2.6 million car seats and 39.7 million pounds of materials since 2016.”
As far textile recycling goes, denim is a popular target. Other retailers have offered similar take-back programs. Madewell, for instance, currently gives customers $20 off new jeans if they bring in an old pair from any brand, promising to “resell or recycle them into housing insulation.” Muji similarly offers $10 off new jeans in exchange for an old pair made from at least 90% cotton, which it then recycles into housing insulation as well.
- According to the EPA, textiles made up 5.8% of municipal solid waste (MSW) in 2018.
Both Madewell and Muji have partnered with Cotton Incorporated’s Blue Jeans Go Green initiative, which collects cotton-made denim and reuses it for housing insulation, bed inserts, and sustainable food and pharmaceutical packaging. Other partners include Rag & Bone, Anthropologie, and Wilco.