Turn office wardrobes into a force for good
- Smarta Energy
- Sep 10
- 4 min read
This September, Smarta Energy is celebrating Oxfam's Second Hand September, and we are making it practical for the workplace. We, thanks to help from Cash for Kids, have introduced a new wear, share, care textile recycling bin in our office for colleagues (and visitors) to donate pre-loved items, helping clothes stay in use for longer while supporting our sustainability goals.
Second Hand September began as a simple pledge: for one month, avoid buying new clothes and opt for pre-loved, repaired, or re-styled pieces instead. Today it’s a nationwide movement powered by Oxfam, inviting people and organisations to cut fashion waste, curb emissions and back charitable impact.
For businesses, the opportunity is bigger than a personal challenge. Textile waste is a visible route into Scope 3 action (both Purchased Goods and Services and Waste Generated in Operations) and a brilliant way to engage teams with sustainability in a hands-on, feel-good way.
Why textiles belong on every corporate sustainability agenda
The scale of the problem is hard to ignore:
In 2021, the UK discarded around 711,000 tonnes of used textiles into household/general waste streams. Almost half (49%) of all used textiles went in the bin, equivalent to ~35 items per person per year. Most of this was incinerated (84%) or landfilled (11%).
The UK bought 1.42 million tonnes of textiles in 2022 and passed on 1.45 million tonnes of used textiles in the same year, a system moving vast volumes in and out, with too much ending up as waste.
Globally, fashion’s linear model still means a truckload of clothing is landfilled or burned every second, a stark symbol of lost value and environmental strain.
There’s also a growing spotlight on the exported afterlife of UK clothing. Investigations in 2025 showed large quantities of discarded garments from UK brands washing up in sensitive ecosystems abroad, a reminder that what we label donation can still become waste without robust systems and quality controls. Businesses can help by prioritising quality donations, re-use partners with transparent downstream routes, and by educating employees on what to donate.
Policy is moving too. The UK continues to explore options such as textiles extended producer responsibility (EPR), though timelines remain uncertain; what’s clear is the direction of travel towards circularity and accountability. Companies that pilot re-use and repair now will be better prepared for future reporting and compliance.
Introducing our Wear, Share, Care bin
At Smarta Energy, we want to make action easy. Our new Wear Share Care donation bin, supplied by Cash 4 Kids, sits in our office, ready for colleagues and guests to drop in clean, good-quality clothing, shoes, and accessories. Periodically, the Cash 4 Kids team will come by to collect the donations.
We’ve created simple posters and social media banners to keep the message clear: Keep clothes in play: Wear it. Share it. Care for it.
A business case that stacks up (and shows up in Scope 3)
Second Hand September is a great internal campaign, but it’s also a lever for measurable carbon and waste reductions:
Scope 3, Category 1 (Purchased Goods and Services): Embedding second-hand procurement (e.g., office chairs, storage, décor) demonstrably reduces upstream production emissions by avoiding new goods.
Scope 3, Category 5 (Waste Generated in Operations): Diverting textiles from general waste reduces emissions from disposal and aligns with responsible waste management hierarchies.
While exact carbon savings require your organisation’s data and recognised factors, the direction of impact is unambiguous: re-use beats disposal, and avoided purchases beat buying new.
A step-by-step playbook for workplaces
1) Set a clear challenge and timeframe
Make it September-wide with a visible pledge wall or Teams/Slack thread.
Encourage colleagues to buy no new clothes for 30 days, swap with peers, or source second-hand when needed. Oxfam’s resources and social downloads can help you kick-start participation.
2) Launch your donation point(s)
Use a central bin (like Cash 4 Kids Wear • Share • Care bin) as a drop point.
Provide quality guidance: clean, wearable items preferred; pair shoes; note what can’t be accepted (e.g., stained or damaged beyond repair). Charity guidance focuses on resellable quality to avoid shifting disposal burdens.
3) Make it social and fun
Run a “Best Pre-Loved Fit” day; spotlight outfits in an internal gallery
Host a lunch-and-learn on circular fashion with an external expert or a charity partner
Organise a swap rail in a meeting room one afternoon every other week/monthly
4) Procure pre-loved where practical
Source refurbished office chairs, meeting tables, storage, and décor through approved vendors. For uniforms/merch, buy less, buy better, buy recycled content, and explore repair/alteration services.
5) Track what matters
Count items donated and estimate weight (e.g., WRAP’s reporting references can guide average weights). Even a simple “items diverted” metric sparks pride and momentum.
Track avoided purchases when choosing pre-loved equipment/furnishings.
Log employee participation and engagement for your ESG report.
6) Close the loop with transparency
Publish a month-end infographic: items donated, partners supported, avoided purchases, and staff stories. Share a short impact note with leadership linking the initiative to Scope 3 and future circular procurement plans.
How Smarta Energy can help
While textiles sit outside traditional energy meters, they sit inside your carbon story. Smarta Energy can help you:
Map Scope 1 and 2 baselines and bring Scope 3 into focus, including Category 1 and 5 hotspots
Build employee engagement programmes with trackable metrics that ladder up to net-zero strategies
Design circular procurement pilots and integrate results into your carbon reporting and annual ESG narratives
And if you are visiting our office, feel free to drop a bag into our Wear, Share, Care bin; we would love your support.
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