LG launches Second Life drive for unwanted clothes

LG Electronics USA has announced that it is taking its ‘Second Life’ campaign on the road.

Visiting four cities along the East Coast, the company plans on collecting unwanted clothing for recycling. The campaign aims to encourage visitors to reduce their fashion footprint, and collect 5,000 pounds of unwanted clothes in the process. The clothes will be cleaned in LG washers and dryers, thus giving them a “second life through donations to community organizations and responsible recycling.”

Part of LG’s ongoing commitment to raise awareness around textile waste, the campaign originally began earlier this year, with a drive along the West Coast. The drive amassed more than 5,000 pounds of clothing, which was then donated to community based beneficiaries such as the Los Angeles LGBT Center. Unwearable clothes were given to designer Nicole McLaughlin, and were then used in a limited-edition capsule collection.

Visitors who bring two pounds of clothing or more get the chance to take a ‘new to you’ vintage clothing piece from Round Two, a thrift chain, or pick from the donations given by local influencers such as Sam Ushiro and Mimi G.

With millions of pounds of discarded clothes ending up in landfills each year, circular fashion is becoming increasingly appealing as an option to reduce waste. Companies such as Oh Polly and Pacsun have launched online clothing banks in order to encourage the donation of unwanted clothing.

The second hand clothing industry is also continuing to grow - according to a report by GlobalData, the resale market is growing 11 times faster than the traditional retail market, and is expected to reach 84 billion by 2030.

“LG is invested in how to care for your clothes throughout their lifecycle - from how you wash them to how you ultimately dispose of them,” said Gail Conroy, senior director of marketing at LG Electronics USA.

The campaign will begin on October 16 in New York City.