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British department store chain John Lewis is trying out a new service encouraging customers to send damaged clothes in for repairs in lieu throwing the garments away.
The 16-week trial program kicked off on July 22 at five John Lewis locations in the U.K., The Guardian reports. The stores will charge £10.95 ($14.15) to fix small rips and tears, £28.50 for a broken zipper on items like cushion covers, and £99.95 to restore a handbag. The company will collaborate with dry-cleaning company Johnsons and its retailer shoe repair and locksmithing parent company, Timpson Group, on the repairs themselves.
"Alterations have always been one of the core parts of our business and we have been seeing this increase over the past few years as more customers are conscious about the environment, and are wanting to repair and bring back to life some of their well-loved garments and accessories," Timpson managing director Will Lankston said.
The program is part of a larger bid to cut down on carbon waste from the clothing and fashion industry. The European Union Commission estimates that just 1% of material used to produce clothing is recycled globally, while more than 5.8 million tons of textiles — roughly 25 pounds per person — are thrown out each year in Europe alone. According to sustainability advocacy group Wrap, the carbon footprint of a garment can be cut by 30% if its lifespan is extended by up to nine months.
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