Just as they do with empty bottles of beer, Swedish...

Just as they do with empty bottles of beer, Swedish consumers could soon get into the habit of returning used outdoor garments in exchange for a small refund. Such an initiative was launched earlier this week by Klättermusen, a Swedish outdoor brand with projected sales of about 20 million SEK (€2.1m-$3.3m) this year. Consumers who bring a used jacket or backpack to the store where they bought it will get a voucher of between €5 and €15 to be spent in the same store. The used products will be picked up by Klättermusen, which will reimburse the retailer for the vouchers. The same products will then be shipped to a supplier in South Korea, Mipan Regen, which manufactures recycled outdoor products. For example, it came up with a Klättermusen-branded bag made entirely of recycled nylon, using discarded fishing nets and carpets. While such recycled nylon was already used for some other products, it was a first for a backpack.