BCR launches shoe recycling amnesty in local school

The company has teamed up with Greenfield Primary School to launch Shoe Amnesty, a scheme in which BCR collects the unwanted shoes and then pays the school for them.

The shoes are then exported to Africa where they can be sorted and sold wholesale or directly to the consumer.

Commenting on the scheme, Maxine Sault, managing director of BCR, said: It was a different way to do something about shoe recycling. It helps us to get good quality materials and it helps the school raise money and teaches the children about recycling.

BCR plans to roll-out the scheme to other schools and businesses in the local area next year.

Market

Ms Sault said that the market is struggling at the moment with the need for recycled textiles and shoes rising, but the recession means supplies are limited and the quality of the recycled clothing coming in can be poor. The shortage of raw materials also means that prices for textiles are often too high, she added.

The scheme aims to find a new way to get the valuable materials straight from consumers, after a scheme with a Curves gym to collect unwanted bras proved successful.

Commenting on the current market, Ms Sault said: We have never had it so tough. The prices are too high and people are struggling to make money.

Theft

Ms Sault claims that recyclers need to make it simple for people to recycle their unwanted goods but by making it easy for them the recyclers often open themselves up to the risk of theft. Bring banks, and kerbside collections are targeted by thieves meaning the recyclers often lose out.

We have lost so much in revenue and refurbishing bring banks to stop the thieves getting in, said Ms Sault. She explained that textile recyclers face the dilemma of allowing people to deposit their used clothes whilst stopping thieves from gaining access.

BCR took steps to tackle bogus bag collections earlier in the year (see letsrecycle.com story) by signing up to the Fundraising Standards Board (FRSB) allowing them to display the FRSB tick, signalling to consumers that its collections are legitimate.

BCR is a family-run company specialising in the reuse and recycling of textiles. It operates mainly through a system of bring banks and kerbside collections. It also has specialised bra banks dedicated to raising money for breast cancer initiatives and also toy banks.

The company supports a number of local and international charities including: Macmillan Cancer Support; Alzheimers Association; Breast Friends and: The Meningitis Trust.