London textile recycler opens 2 million facility

Speaking at the site's official opening in Beckenham on Thursday, managing director Christine Carey said that the 25,000 tonne a year facility has more than doubled the company's recycling capacity.

A fashion catwalk took place as Chris Carey's Collections opened their new facility (photo: Adam Barnes, www.photostylespr.co.uk)

The facility, which provides more modern amenities than the company's former “cramped” warehouse at Deptford, has also given the company a “higher, cleaner profile” – including a weighbridge, better lighting and more space.

Since it began operations in February, it has already helped Chris Carey to secure contracts to recycle all staff uniforms for Homebase and Argos.

Speaking to letsrecycle.com, Mrs Carey said: “Having the extra space we have significantly increased what we were turning over. People's perception of us has also changed in a nice building with nice facilities.”

Grant
The Beckenham development, which has created 63 jobs, has received a 185,000 capital grant from the London Development Agency's Economic Development Infrastructure Building Programme.

The multi-million funding programme aims to encourage recycling and create urban regeneration and employment.

Jim Perkins, Programme manager at London Re-Made, which delivered the grant, said: “We needed to stimulate growth in under-represented parts of the waste stream. In London there's so few textile recyclers and the industry is still very under-represented.

He added: “There's nothing local authority's can't collect if they have got somewhere to take it. Since this site started operating it has been inundated with tonnage.”

Rags
The Beckenham facility will take clothes from over 2,000 SMEs, community groups, local authorities, charity shops and Chris Carey's national network of bring banks.

Clothes are hand-sorted by staff and baled by compressing machines. Around 15% of clothes are re-sold in the UK for use in film and television, auction on e-bay, or sale in vintage clothes shops.

A further 40% of clothes are sent for re-use overseas, while the remaining 45% are shredded into rags, and sent for recycling into mattress filling and other products.