Calvin Klein Inc., part of PVH Corp., has launched Re-Calvin, a new take-back program in the U.S. designed to make it easy for customers to responsibly dispose of their pre-loved items.
Developed in partnership with Trove, the leader in branded resale and customer trade-in, and Debrand, a comprehensive sortation and circular logistics partner, Re-Calvin is a free service from Calvin Klein that gives U.S. customers a simple, accessible way to extend the life of clothing, shoes and accessories from any brand through donation, recycling, downcycling or, when necessary, responsible disposal that is converted from waste to energy.
Re-Calvin also accepts intimates, such as bras, swimwear and underwear — a category that is often excluded from circularity programs.
“As Calvin Klein continues its sustainability journey, we are proud to introduce a program that makes circularity more accessible to our customers and delivers alternative uses for pre-loved items,” said David Savman, global brand president of Calvin Klein. “It was important that we partner with experts with a proven ability to build and scale programs that handle a wide range of products and categories, making it easier than ever for customers to responsibly extend the life of their items.”
The way is works is customers in the U.S. can visit calvinklein.us/re-calvin to print a free shipping label and send in items from any brand. Once received, each package is processed and routed according to “Calvin Klein’s diligent and established standards,” said the company. The items can go three routes.
- Reuse: Items in good condition are donated or sent to secondhand distribution partners.
- Recycle/Downcycle: Items that cannot be used, including intimates, are recycled into new fibers whenever possible, or downcycled into materials such as insulation or padding.
- Responsible Disposal: As a final step, if no reuse, recyling or downcycling option is available, items can be converted from waste to energy or alternative fuel conversion.
Only items suitable for a new owner are directed to reuse. Garments with significant wear, damage and heavy stains, and all intimates are directed to end-of-use streams, including recycling, downcycling and responsible disposal. Customers will receive an email update after their parcel is processed, detailing how their items were routed, ensuring transparency throughout the process.
Re-Calvin is powered by Trove’s new Takeback Plug-In, which enables Calvin Klein to manage item intake, routing and transparency at scale. The plug-in integrates into Calvin Klein’s existing U.S. website, enabling the brand to operate a multibrand take-back program that includes complex categories such as intimates.
“Re-Calvin marks the first implementation of Trove’s new Takeback Plug-In,” said Terry Boyle, chief executive officer of Trove. “With this launch, Calvin Klein is showing how technology can make responsible choices simple for every customer, accepting items from any brand and across all categories, including intimates, to help keep more textiles in circulation.”
Trove, a Certified B Corp., handles the resale initiatives for such brands as Canada Goose, Carhartt, Michael Kors, Patagonia and Steve Madden.
