Caring for the environment is important to many outdoors and sports enthusiasts –and this includes eco hiking, buying greener running products and reducing the amount of waste that goes to landfill. In terms of being as planet friendly as we can be, the most sustainable product is the product you already own.
However, kit for running, walking, camping etc does eventually become too worn to be useable, or else it wears out. In some cases, it can become unsafe to carry on wearing or using some items. To help you to dispose of – or move on – your old clothing and gear, we have created a list of retailers and organisations that provide a greener way to help you donate, recycle, re-use or repair.
Recycling and returns schemes
There are charities and schemes that accept old or unused outdoor and sports gear. The clothing and equipment is then re-used by someone new or recycled.
Gift Your Gear
Rohan was an early adopter of a planet friendly re-purposing scheme, Gift Your Gear. Since 2012, the company has been donating donated pre-loved gear to charities so it can have a second life,
Continuum
The retailer Alpkit provides a scheme called Continuum. It accepts any brand of unwanted outdoor clothing and equipment and then gives it to someone who needs it through the Alpkit Foundation or a network of charitable partners. You can send the items to Alpkit or drop off in one of their stores.
Àban Outdoor Charity Shop
Àban is a Scottish outdoor education charity and award-winning social enterprise. It accepts good quality second-hand clothing and equipment, which goes into their shop for sale to other people. The aim is to to lower the barrier to entry that comes with many outdoor activities.
Clothes The Loop
Retailer The North Face has a programme for the recycling and reuse of old TNF gear. You will ned to sign up to become an XPLR Pass member. There is no cost to do this. Then, when you return used The North Face items for renewal, recycling or donation to stores, you will receive a £10 voucher.
2nd Life
Retailer Ellis Brigham has a 2nd Life initiative that aims to recycle outdoor clothing and gear and then matches items with homeless charities across the UK. They accept outdoor jackets, trousers, sleeping bags, baselayers, fleeces, insulated clothing, hats and gloves at six in-store drop off points.
Nike Recycle + Donate
Instead of throwing away your used athletic gear, you can donate it to a Nike store. The items will be cleaned and donated, or recycled.
Preloved Sports
The scheme allows you to donate and also buy second-hand sports items. There are a number of top off points in England and Wales.
Care 4 Calais
Care 4 Calais is a volunteer-run refugee charity working with refugees in the UK to provide emergency clothing (and other services). It is one of the few places that accept good quality new and pre-loved unisex race T-shirts, and good condition second-hand shoes. They can make use of functional equipment only and all donations must be clean and labelled clearly as the organization receives donations is huge numbers.
Sharewear Clothing Scheme
Sharewear provides emergency clothing, shoes and bedding to people in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.
ApparelXchange
Scottish Sports Futures (SSF) and ApparelXchange CIC (AXC) have a collaborative project to gather unwanted sportswear for young people aged four to 18 before it reaches landfill.
Kit For All
SportScotland aims to support different people and clubs to set up Kit for All, which offers recycled and pre-loved sports kit to individuals and families who need it, for free.
Recycle My Run
The retailer Runners Need works with shoe recycling organisation SOEX to allow people to recycle old running shoes. Simply take you old shoes into a store in the UK. The shoes are then sorted by SOEX and the better quality pairs are sent around the world to be re-used, while others are repackaged for secondhand markets in 90 different countries. The shoes that aren’t sent for re-use are broken down into raw materials.
Recycle My Gear
Runners Need is also part of another SOEX scheme that provides recycling for other gear. Other retailers signed up to Recycle My Gear are Cotswold Outdoor and Snow+Rock. You can find drop-off collection bins in these stores.
Items included are clothes, of any quality and brand, and also pairs of sports shoes.
Recycle My Gear at Cotswold Outdoor and Recycle My Gear at Snow+Rock
Yeti Rambler Buy Back
You need to have a nearby Yeti store for this scheme but you can return old, damaged or unwanted Yeti Rambler products to receive $5 off your next purchase. All YETI Rambler® Drinkware is eligible, regardless of age or condition.
Crackpacs
Crackpots turns old canvas tents, climbing ropes and outdoor gear into backpacks and bags.
Kitsquad
The aim of this scheme, which is based in England, is to give old gear an new purpose and assist low-income people to spend more time outdoors. There is an address to send your unwanted items to.
ReGAIN app
Various sports brands, such as New Balance, have partnered with the regain app which accepts used products. You simply pack up unwanted items, send them to a drop off point and then gain access to discount coupons.
Blue Bird Exchange
Only operating in and around the Scottish capital city of Edinburgh this service offer to reclaim, repair and redistribute outdoor gear.You can donate items and also shop for second-hand kit.
Play It Again Sport Wales
You can make donations of usable sports equipment and clothing at various different collection points in Wales. They are then sold at a fraction of the original cost to those who need them. The aim is to make sport accessible to all.
Outdoor Gear for Good
The organisation takes excess inventory of outdoor clothing at no charge and then supplies approved outdoor-related charities and recycles it. There is also an Ebay shop with sales items.
Sell kit second-hand
There are various places that you can sell second-hand clothing and shoes. Obviously, you could sell to friends and family, as well as local clubs, but for a wider audience, here is a list of useful places.
Outdoor Gear Exchange
A Facebook page that lists a wide range of second-hand outdoor items and products for sale or exchange.
Outdoor Kit Exchange
Other Facebook groups where people sell or exchange used outdoor kit.
Outdoor Kit Exchange and Outdoor Kit Exchange UK
Longer life: Repair or clean
With a little care and attention many outdoor clothes and items can have an extended life by repairing, revamping or cleaning. Here’s a list:
- Scottish Mountain Gear - repair and cleaning of outdoor clothing, small tents, backpacks, sleeping bags and down insulation products
- Cotswold Outdoor: Repair and Care
- Cotswold Outdoor: 60 Second Footwear Protection Service in association with Imbox
- Montane Repair Service
- Mulch and the Broken Thing clothing and kits repairs (based in Sheffield, UK)
- Alpkit Repair Station
- Patagonia: Worn Wear Tour - find dates of events near you
- Patagonia Care & Repair in association with iFixit
- Rab Down & Synthetic Clothing Repair
- Snowdonia Gear Repair in Wales
- Lancashire Sports Repairs
- The Boot Repair Company
- Feet First outdoor footwear repairs (based in Derbyshire, UK) -
- Berghaus Repairhaus
- Vango repairs - tents, awnings, sleeping bags and rucksacks
- Scarpa - footwear repairs and re-sole service
- Down Cleaning Service
- Cheshire Shoe Repairs
- Gear Aid - a range of fix and restore gear services
