The face of Scottish interior design officially launched the M&S Soft Furnishings Exchange in Scotland at the Oxfam store on Byres Road, Glasgow.

John Amabile, of 60 Minute Makeover, unveiled the new initiative, which is designed to encourage people to recycle their soft furnishings, including cushions, curtains, throws and bed linen.

Set to become the UK's biggest homeware recycling campaign, customers making a donation of M&S home textiles to Oxfam will receive an M&S voucher worth £5 (valid for one month), to use with their next purchase of £35 or more on homeware, clothing or beauty products at M&S.

John said:

"I'm delighted to be involved in such a worthy initiative. If you're desperate to spruce up your living room designer-style, this is an easy, stylish and thrifty way to transform your home at the same time as helping to raise money to tackle poverty around the world."

Collin Hamilton Welsh, Store Manager, from M&S in Glasgow, said:

"The Clothing Exchange with Oxfam has generated a lot of interest from M&S shoppers which I am sure will continue as the partnership progresses into soft furnishings.

"We are confident shoppers in Glasgow will take advantage of the initiative and give generously to the charity throughout the campaign."

Elaina Smith, store manager at the Oxfam Style Store on Byres Road, added:

"Oxfam is always looking for good quality donations, so I am delighted that we are extending the partnership with Marks & Spencer to include soft furnishings. This scheme not only benefits people who donate to us but also will help in raising money to support Oxfam projects around the world."

The M&S and Oxfam exchange scheme was created to both raise money for Oxfam's life-saving charity work as well as reduce the one million tonnes of textiles sent by the public to landfill each year.

The M&S and Oxfam Soft Furnishings Exchange allows consumers to keep supporting charity even while times are tight as well as receiving savings on their shopping. The initiative builds on the success of the M&S and Oxfam Clothes Exchange, which in its first year saved over 3 million garments from landfill.

Half a million M&S customers saved a combined total of £2.5 million off their shopping bill and also raised an extra £2 million for Oxfam.