How you can save money by recycling your old clothes and empty bottles

As households face tighter budgets, high street retailers are increasingly getting into second-hand and recycling initiatives.

Previously the preserve of online marketplaces and secondhand shopping apps, retailers are now offering financial incentives in exchange for items such as used clothing and empty containers.

Consumer expert Helen Dewdney, The Complaining Cow, outlines how consumers can benefit by exchanging unwanted goods for rewards.

These programmes usually involve payments or vouchers for packaging materials that can be reused, including items destined for recycling bins, such as empty bottles and containers.

Marks and Spencer

Under the Shwopping scheme customers can donate old clothes to Oxfam and receive a £5 voucher to spend on purchases of more than £35 at M&S.

Boots

Boots runs the Scan2Recycle programme, which accepts products difficult to recycle at home, including composite materials (metal and plastics) and non-recyclable items like toothpaste tubes and lotion pumps. Small cosmetics such as travel-sized products and samples are also accepted.

Customers must download the app, wash and scan items to have them validated before dropping them off at participating stores. Recycling five or more eligible items earns £5 in Advantage Card points, redeemable on purchases over £10 within three days.

View the full list of all the items that can be brought to their stores.

The Perfume Shop

Customers can bring any empty perfume bottle, regardless of where it was bought, to receive 15% off a same-day purchase at The Perfume Shop. The retailer also commits to planting a tree for each bottle donated.

River Island

Through its Take Back scheme, customers may drop off at least three clothing items in a box at at more than 200 stores nationwide or arrange a courier collection, which River Island will pay for. Participants receive a £5 voucher valid on purchases over £40 for one month. Donations do not need to be River Island products.

John Lewis

John Lewis offers two programs: BeautyCycle and FashionCycle. BeautyCycle provides a £5 voucher for spending over £50 when customers return five or more clean, empty beauty product containers from specified B Corp certified brands such as Clarins, Elemis, Aveda and L’Occitane.

FashionCycle offers a £5 discount on clothing rentals over £50 in exchange for five clothing items, subject to certain restrictions.

Lush

Customers can return qualifying Lush packaging to receive 50p per item or 5p per 10ml sample pot. Alternatively, five returned items can be exchanged for a face mask.