Charles Tyrwhitt has won the Circular Economy Award at The Better Society Awards for its sustainable take‑back partnership with the British Heart Foundation (BHF), which helps tackle textile waste while raising funds to support lifesaving heart research.
Since launching in 2021, this great example of a successful circular retail solution has provided customers with simple ways to donate preloved menswear directly to the BHF, the UK’s largest charity retailer, ensuring high quality clothing stays in use and out of the waste stream.
Earlier this year, the circular model was expanded with greater customer reach, with the introduction of an online donation option, making it even easier for customers to make better, sustainable choices from home.
So far, the partnership has:
- Raised over £4 million for BHF’s lifesaving research
- Diverted 84 tonnes of clothing from the waste stream
- Increased the availability of high quality menswear across BHF shops, an under‑donated category
- Delivered a scalable model aligned with future Textiles Extended Producer Responsibility (tEPR) requirements
This award recognises Charles Tyrwhitt’s commitment to embedding circularity into its retail model and offering customers simple, accessible ways to donate preloved clothing responsibly.
Joe Irons, chief marketing officer at Charles Tyrwhitt, said: “We’re really proud to receive this award alongside British Heart Foundation. The partnership has shown that when you make it easy for customers to do the right thing, they genuinely get behind it. Together with British Heart Foundation, we’ve built something that delivers real impact, supporting vital research while helping more clothing stay in use for longer.”
Karen O’Donoghue, head of retail partnerships at the British Heart Foundation, said: “Charles Tyrwhitt has created a take‑back model that genuinely works for its customers, for the environment and in helping us fund our lifesaving research. By combining a strong in‑store solution with a new online option, they’ve made reuse easy, accessible and impactful at scale. This award celebrates a partnership that shows how retailers can prepare for future industry legislation, while delivering real environmental and social impact and supporting lifesaving research.”
The partnership continues to evolve, setting a strong example for retailers looking to reduce textile waste and meet growing expectations around circular economy and product stewardship.
