Footwear, clothing, and accessories brand Steve Madden has partnered with Trashie to launch a new recycling initiative for its customers. The new partnership sees Steve Madden leveraging the US-based company’s recycle and rewards platform to encourage customers to recycle their old and used apparel and footwear.

Through the new recycling program, Steve Madden customers can buy Trashie’s Take Back Bag for 20 dollars online at stevemadden.com, fill it with unwanted and worn clothing, accessories, and footwear, and send it to Trashie's recycling facility using the prepaid shipping label. In return, customers will receive 25 dollars off their next Steve Madden online purchase.

"I'm incredibly excited to announce our partnership with Trashie, which marks a key step in our efforts to support end-of-life management for our products," said Gregg Meyer, chief sustainability officer at Steven Madden, in a statement. "As we look to 2024 and beyond, a key part of our sustainability journey involves creating a holistic, circular approach to fashion across our supply chain. Trashie's innovative platform aligns perfectly with this vision, allowing us to offer our customers an opportunity to responsibly and easily give new life to their used fashion and footwear. We're eager to see how this partnership will empower our customers and drive positive change in the years to come."

All textile and non-textile items sent to Trashie's recycling facility in El Paso, Texas are classified into one of 253 grades based on its category, size, quality, and material, ensuring the said item is directed to the most suitable next use, whether it may be reuse, downcycling, or fiber-to-fiber recycling. As a result, up to 95 percent of the collected items are diverted from landfills.

"It is wonderful to see a mainstream brand like Steve Madden making such a meaningful commitment to circularity," said Kristy Caylor, founder & CEO of Trashie, in a statement. "We are proud to partner with the Steve Madden team to deliver a fun and inspiring way for their customers to engage with recycling. Our goal is to ease our partners' transition to a more circular future by leveraging our proven consumer model and back-end recycling logistics to drive measurable and lasting impact for the brand."

Trashie, which recently marked 500,000 dollars in Take-Back Bag sales in the past year, has successfully kept 8.4 million items, weighing 4.3 million pounds, out of landfills. The company currently has partnered with several brands, ranging from smaller labels to major names like ThirdLove, Bombas, Marine Layer, and Walmart.