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M&S customers have been getting behind shwopping and we’ve already seen over 1million items shwopped. But, did you know that you can also shwop your shoes and bags? In fact, shoes and bags are a really important way for Oxfam to raise vital funds for the work it carries out, at home and abroad.
You can find out more about what happens to shwopped shoes and bags below…
What does Oxfam do with leather, shoes, boots and bags?
Oxfam Shops are able to sell on good quality shoes, boots, handbags and leather coats & trousers. They are some of the items that raise the most money for Oxfam’s work. A handbag can sell for anything between £5.99 and £1000! This summer Oxfam Brighton sold a Chanel handbag for £1,000.
Oxfam also sell items online and has sold 1,691 pairs of shoes and 888 handbags so far this year. Last year over £100,000 worth of bags and shoes were sold in Oxfam’s online shop, thanks to those who have generously donated their unwanted items.
If your shoes and bags have seen better days there's plenty of new-season inspiration at M&S.
What if items can’t be sold?
Oxfam Wastesaver receives all the items which don’t sell in Oxfam’s shops and sorts them for resale, reuse or recycling. Like all the items at Wastesaver, leather, shoes and handbags are sorted into different grades. Some will be redistributed back into high street Oxfam Shops or sold in the Oxfam Festival Shop or on the Oxfam Online Shop
If the stock received is not suitable for Oxfam’s retail outlets it will then be exported wholesale according to Oxfam’s ethical supply policy. Shoes and handbags are exported wholesale to various countries including:
- Senegal, West Africa, to Oxfam’s Social Enterprise project ‘Frip Ethique’, where they are sorted and sold by local women, creating income for their families and generating profits which are put back into Oxfam’s projects in West Africa;
- Leather items are sold to either Eastern Europe or Pakistan.
- Oxfam’s customers in Pakistan will even take single shoes as they are used to provide footwear for amputees or for people who work in the rice fields where shoes don’t last very long so they’ll match up a pair of similar single shoes to use while they work. They will also repair damaged shoes and leather clothing for reselling.
Remember, shwopping is about stopping unwanted clothing and accessories going to landfill, so no matter the brand or condition of your item, M&S and Oxfam can make sure it’s sold, reused or recycled.
Take a look at the range of shoes and boots, and bags at M&S for some style inspiration before you go shwopping.
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[...] (swap!) your old pairs of shoes or bags at M&S this week and in return you’ll receive £5 off some new ones! Just visit participating M&S stores before Wednesday 17th October 2012. Bring in [...]