M&S launch 'Shwop' suit made from recycled wool

Marks & Spencer has launched its first men's 'Shwop' suit, made from recycled wool gathered through its Shwopping clothing recycling initiative with Oxfam.

The suit, which is part of M&S Plan A sustainability target of producing a quarter of its apparel and homeware using at least 25 percent recycled materials by 2025, is the end result of M&S project on how to best use items donated through its Shwopping plan. Not all Shwopping items are able to be resold by Oxfam Shops, and those that are not are sent to Oxfam's Wastesaver recycling centre in West Yorkshire to be re-sorted.

After establishing a plan on how to gather all the wool items which could not be resold through Oxfam Shops, M&S sent the donated items to one of its partner fabric mills to develop a new fabric. Together with Nova Fides, a family run mill based in Prato, Italy, with a strong heritage in creating recycled fabric, M&S created a suit fabric using the unsaleable wool items.

The end result is a "more responsibly" sourced wool blend suit, which is made with 55 percent recycled wool. The suit features a lightweight, tailored fit, a single-breast jacket which comes in charcoal, blue, navy, neutral and green. Retailing for 149 pounds, the suit is available in a three piece option, so it can be worn dressed up or down.