Spring has Sprung! And so has the clutter in our apartment – the cleaning has begun! Our little guy is growing up so fast, his clothes collection is as well. It’s hard keeping up with his new sizes and needs!
In our busy lives, cleaning out the closet always seems to be at the bottom of our to-do list. It piles up! I found a 9-12 month size item the other day in his dresser (that was from over 2 years ago!)
Needless to say, its a perfect time to tackle this – and just in time for Earth Day! A clean out of our closets, and a great lesson for Lil Kid on recycling.
With only 15 percent of textile materials repurposed – 85 percent end up in the trash. Did you know the average person throws away 70 pounds of clothing every year, totaling 21-24 billion pounds ending in our landfills annually? Shocking numbers. This simply shouldn’t be happening.
Thankfully – decluttering our closets and helping the environment has never been easier. Sweden’s leading childrenswear brand (and now in the US!), Polarn O. Pyret, has partnered with ThredUp, a large online resale site, where Polarn O. Pyret distributes (free!) 10 pound mailers complete with pre-paid postage for customers to stuff full of gently used clothes.
ThredUp then receives the clothes and gives a certain percent back to the customer to shop as a customer credit – either online or in store. The clothes that cannot be resold are repurposed or recycled.
So much better than throwing old clothes away! Love that the unneeded clothes are repurposed, and that credit received can then go to buying new clothes, replacing those that our family has grown out of.
Polarn O. Pyret is one our favorite stores! Their name means “Buddy and the Little One” and is designed to be passed through many generations. Their clothing is of the highest quality! Super durable, wears and washes well, and doesn’t shrink or fade. Perfect for busy parents and growing families! The clothing itself is stylish and practical. Love that they have unisex styling, and that their fun prints and color selections are always in style.
Most importantly – their sustainable production and value of social responsibility aligns with our family’s values.
How does it work?
Simply email thredup@polarnopyrtusa.com and a bag will be sent to you absolutely free. Have a lot of cleaning to do (like we do?) Just ask! They will send you as many bags as you would like.
Once the bags arrive – simply fill with unwanted clothing. The rest is really easy! Since the bag has pre-paid postage, you simply leave it for your mailman to pick up, or drop off at any UPS or USPS station.
ThredUp then processes the contents and will notify you of how much you will receive.
What happens to the clothes?
The clothes are re-sold on ThredUp’s online resale shop. Note that ThredUp is not looking for lower end items where the price point is below $20, and all items need to be in good condition. They generally accept 40-50 percent of the goods they receive. Items that aren’t accepted are given to 3rd party resellers, textile recycling plants, and repurposed into new products such as furniture and pillow stuffing.
How Long does it take?
Typically it takes ThredUp 1-2 weeks to receive the package (they’ll confirm through email once received). Then it takes 5-10 days for ThredUp to review the items at their offices. From there – it takes 5-7 days for Polarn O. Pyret to process the gift certificate.
How Much do you usually receive?
Customers earn 10-40 percent of the resale value of the accepted clothing as Polarn O Pyret credit. A pretty good deal! Some customers earn $80, some $10 – all depends on what is sent in for resale.
Why ThredUp?
The added convenience! No need to do anything except mail in a bag, which is great for busy parents, or any city dwellers where space is limited. The payout is good, and easy!
So proud of my Lil guy’s Earth Day Clean-Up!
More on Polarn O. Pyret fashions HERE
Read more on the ThredUp Initiative HERE