GUESS Teams with I:CO for Wardrobe Recycling Program

GUESS is partnering with I:CO, a global solutions provider and innovator for the collection, certified sorting, reuse and recycling of used apparel and footwear, to launch a wardrobe recycling program. The program, RESOURCED, launched in California on June 18 and is expanding to all of North America by the end of 2018 and globally by 2020.

Backed by the company’s chainwide, in-store digital and online marketing campaign, it is GUESS’ mission to encourage men and women everywhere to recycle their wardrobe and give it new life. In exchange for bringing in a minimum of five pieces of clothing or footwear to any local GUESS, Factory, G by GUESS, or Marciano store in California only beginning June 18, customers will receive 15 percent off any in-store or online purchase until July 1, 2019. The company will promote RESOURCED amongst customers and the community within 63 stores in California across four brands under the GUESS?, Inc. umbrella with messaging in storefront windows, e-mail marketing, in-store signage, mobile marketing and online.

“GUESS has joined a global industry pledge to advance a circular fashion system—the idea that fashion should last and be continuously repurposed, reused and recycled,” said Victor Herrero, CEO of GUESS?, Inc., in a statement. “Partnering with I:CO helps us achieve our goals and work on these initiatives to adapt our company and engage our employees, customers and community on developing a more sustainable fashion industry.”

GUESS has partnered with I:CO to reduce textile waste and help create a circular fashion system where unwanted clothing and shoes can be reprocessed and used over and over again in a continuous closed loop production cycle. Through I:CO’s innovative retail take-back system and worldwide infrastructure, wearable items get a new life as secondhand goods. Unwearable items are resourced into new products like cleaning cloths or recycled into fibers for products such as insulation and new textiles. Reusing and recycling saves resources and allows valuable raw materials to be reprocessed, ultimately helping to protect the environment.

“We admire GUESS’ sustainability efforts and its commitment to textile recycling,” said Kenneth Cheah, I:CO USA CEO, in a statement. “Through our partnership, consumers will have an easy way to recycle their unwanted clothing and shoes, and it will generate much-needed awareness about creating a more circular future of fashion.”

GUESS’ commitment to circular fashion is part of the GUESS Sustainability Plan that was disclosed in its independently audited FY16-17 sustainability report published last year. Since then, GUESS has joined the Better Cotton Initiative and has issued a responsible sourcing policy on rayon and other cellulosic materials to protect forests and local communities.