Sainsbury’s ends Salvation Army textile bank role
13 July 2011
Sainsbury’s has ended the role of the Salvation Army’s trading company as one of its two preferred partners for running textile recycling banks at its stores, leaving Oxfam as the only bank provider working with the retail giant.
Confirming the move to end the partnership with the Salvation Army's trading arm, the Salvation Army Trading Company Limited (SATCoL), a spokesman for Sainsbury's told letsrecycle.com: “Following a review of our recycling activities we have decided to work with Oxfam to provide textile recycling banks at our stores.
"We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Salvation Army, who have until now shared this role with Oxfam, for its excellent service and support in the past, and wish them well for the future.”
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- The Salvation Army will no longer be providing textiles banks on Sainsbury's retail sites
Commenting on the decision, Trevor Caffull, managing director of SATCoL, said: “Whilst we are disappointed with the Sainsbury's decision, we would like to thank them for their support over a number of years.
“We are proud of our track record as the preferred textile recycling operator for most major UK supermarkets and over 330 local authorities throughout the UK and Republic of Ireland. Of the donations we receive, 99% is reused or recycled, with only 1% going to landfill – and we continue to work towards zero waste.”
Gift-aid
Mr Caffull added: “SATCoL gift-aids a minimum of 75% of profit it receives from the Clothing Collection Scheme to the Salvation Army to help fund its vital work throughout the UK and Republic of Ireland which includes homelessness services, elderly care, family tracing and much more. This, together with our rapidly expanding charity shop chain, has enabled SATCoL to gift-aid no less than £17.1m to The Salvation Army in the past three years alone.”
Mr Caffull went on to point to SATCoL’s explansion plans: “2011 is SATCoL’s 20th anniversary year and we will continue with our ambitious expansion plans to add more clothing banks and charity shops to our growing network.”
The Sainsbury’s decision will reduce the 5,000-plus textile recycling banks the Salvation Army runs nationwide through its trading arm, the Salvation Army Trading Company Limited (SATCoL). SATCoL claims to be the UK’s leading textile and clothing recycling company.
Kettering Textiles
The actual work involved in collecting donated clothing is contracted to Kettering Textiles by SATCoL. Items donated are sold for re-use and recycling.
Kettering Textiles, in a statement on its website, says: “Of the net profits, two thirds are retained by Salvation Army Trading Company Ltd., and one third is passed to Kettering Textiles Ltd. This means that at current market values Salvation Army Trading Company Ltd., will receive £260* per tonne of donated clothing. *correct as of February 2011."
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