Dive Brief:

• In a concerted effort to reduce its company footprint, Hydro Flask has launched the first of its kind trade-in program of the brand’s used insulated water bottles, tumblers and stainless steel products in exchange for redeemable store credit.
• Participants of the trade-in program will need to register their used Hydro Flask products – including stainless steel bottles, tumblers, mugs, food jars, bowls, plates and accessories – online, according to a company press release. For each product they trade in, customers receive a $5 promo code.
• Products can be shipped back to the company by adhering a mailing label to the product directly — no additional packaging necessary — and dropping it off at a local shipping service.

Dive Insight:

Upon receiving a customer’s used, old or damaged water bottle, the Hydro Flask product is then “disassembled and sorted to recycle as much of the materials as possible so that the recyclable materials can be incorporated into circular economy material streams,” according to the announcement.

As sustainability increasingly becomes more important to consumers, especially Gen Z, launching a trade-in program such as the one from Hydro Flask may clearly enhance the brand’s overall value and likeability with the customer base, according to company officials.

"We understand how hard the active, on-the-go lifestyle of our customers can be on some products," said Larry Witt, president of the Home & Outdoor segment at Helen of Troy, the parent of Hydro Flask. "Through the Trade-In program, customers can feel better about parting ways with their Hydro Flasks knowing they won't end up in landfills."     

Hydro Flask has been recycling its products since 2017, but this marks the first time it has instituted a trade-in program. The brand joins an ever-growing chorus of retailers and manufacturers who have instituted trade-in and resale programs to meet consumer sentiment for reducing footprints and overall waste in the environment.

Among retailers to have started their own programs are Dick’s Sporting Goods, which launched a trade-in and resale program for outdoor gear. Other brands that have introduced trade-in or resale programs include Anthropologie, Madewell and running shoe brand On.

Hydro Flask is a brand within of Helen of Troy, which counts OXO, Osprey, Vicks and Drybar among its other brands. The parent company has been facing challenges in recent months, announcing in January a 10% percent cut to its worldwide workforce after reporting a third-quarter consolidated net sales drop of 10.6%.